Thermal comfort of beef cattle in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT Evaluation of the comfort and animal welfare parameters enables determining the best environmental conditions for livestock creation. The present study was aimed to determine the thermal comfort index for beef cattle using interpolation techniques for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul during extreme summer and winter seasons for a period of 10 years. The analysis was performed on the climatic variables data provided by the National Institute of Meteorology, Brazil. The maximum (THImax) and minimum (THImin) temperature and humidity indices (THIs) of 28 weather stations distributed across the state were calculated, and the thematic maps of the THIs (maximum and minimum) calculated for the summer and winter seasons were prepared. The results revealed a state of emergency in the two largest animal-producing cities in the state; namely, Corumba and Ribas do Rio Pardo, while two other cities, Chapadao do Sul and Costa Rica emerged as favorable regions for the production of beef cattle. The Spline method used in the present study, therefore, proved to be a suitable tool for analyzing a small number of weather stations distributed over a large territorial area.