Prediction of Water Intake in Hair Sheep: Development of a New Model

    November 2025 in “ Frontiers in Animal Science ”
    Caio Júlio Lima Herbster, Antonio de Sousa Brito Neto, Juana Catarina Cariri Chagas, Marcos Inácio Marcondes, Evandra da Silva Justino, Ada Rocha, Luciano Pinheiro da Silva, Leílson Rocha Bezerra, Alfonso Juventino Chay‐Canul, Stefanie Alvarenga Santos, Ronaldo Lopes Oliveira, Elzânia Sales Pereira
    TLDR A new model accurately predicts water intake in hair sheep using dry matter intake.
    The study aimed to develop a predictive model for water intake (WI) in hair sheep using data from 185 observations across eight studies. Significant correlations were found between WI and factors like metabolizable energy intake, body weight, dry matter, dry matter intake (DMI), and temperature-humidity index. The stepwise analysis identified dry matter and DMI as significant predictors of WI, while sex classes did not significantly affect the model. The resulting equation, WI (kg/day) = 0.1282 + 2.4186 x DMI, demonstrated a strong predictive capability (R² = 0.70). The model's validation confirmed its accuracy, suggesting it can enhance the efficient use of water in managing hair sheep.
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