Temperature Differences

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IluvABbeef

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Here's a question from my digestive physiology notes that I couldn't quite understand, maybe some of you can get it.

"Why do dairy cows have a narrower range of body temperature compared with beef cows?"

Average temperature for a dairy cow: 38.6 C
Range in temperature for a dairy cow: 38.0 - 39.3

Average temperature for a beef cow: 38.3 C
Range in temperature for a beef cow: 37.6 - 39.1


:help:
 
The only thing I can think of would possibly be the difference in housing - beef cows are usually on pasture, whereas dairy cows are usually in a corral. Corrals collect manure, manure gets packed down, and gives off heat as it decomposes, thus possibly raising the cows temperature by a degree or two? Corrals also tend to provide at least some protection from wind, so that might be a factor as well. I have no idea how long it takes to complete the automated milking, but it is usually done in a milking parlor and perhaps that is a factor, also? Final possible factor could be feed - dairy cows are raised to produce high amounts of milk, it usually takes grain to do that, and their feed would certainly reflect that. That grain would contribute a higher energy level, and possibly a higher body temp - at least some of the time. Beef cows are not usually fed grain - usually pasture and hay only. I have no idea how accurate - if at all - I am, but it seems logical to me.
 
I thinks it would relate to the amount of body fat, as opposed to lean muscle. Seems beef breeds would contain more body fat (on average) than their dairy counterparts.
 
For the most part beef cattle are always either grazing or laying down ruminating. The temp will go up while grazing and drop considerably while ruminating due to a more totally relaxed state.

Dairy cattle eat about 3 times the amount of dry matter per day than a typical beef cow. This in effect keeps a huge fire burning inside her as she digests these materials. Additionally she is almost always in a state of excitement, stress and movement. Her upper temperature is affected by all these activities but her bottom temp will also be higher than a beef cow because hardly ever is she able to totally get away from these outside influences and she is producing large quantities of milk, thus the overall range will be smaller. The dairy cow is like a machine that is always running, occasionally idleing but never totally turned off....a beef cow is more like a machine that is turned on and then turned off, several times a day, thus a wider range of temperatures.
 
I think TexasBred hit it right on. That sounds more like the reason why there is the differences in temperature that there is. I was thinking it was more along the lines of external temperatures, but TB has it in terms of metabolic physiology.
 

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