This work aimed to evaluate the effect of sprinkling frequency of adiabatic evaporative cooling system within feed line of a freestall in relation to temperature and humidity index (THI),black globe temperature index (BGHI) and physiological responses in dairy cows. There were used twelve multiparous dairy cows with medium milk production of 30 kg per day. The treatments correspond to sprinkling pulses of 12; 14 and 16 min sprinkler system. Dry bulb temperature (DBT), air relative humidity (RH) and black globe temperature (BGT), inside and outside of facilities, were measured hourly by a period of 24:00 h. Respiratory frequency (RF), rectal temperature (RT) and skin temperature (ST) were taken at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m, 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. in all animals submitted to the treatments. The environmental variables, DBT (31.5 ºC) and BGT (32.5 ºC), and thermal comfort indexes, THI (79.0) and BGHI (81.0), were higher with 12 min of sprinkling frequency than the other treatments. The RH was higher with 14 min (60.3%) than with 12 min (51.0%). It was verified that in relation to physiological parameters, dairy cows with 12 min of sprinkling frequency had higher rectal temperature (39.1 ºC) and respiratory frequency (76.0 mov min-1) when compared to the treatments of 14 and 16 min. To avoid unnecessary water waste in the system should be used the interval of 16 min resulting in the smallest water amount used by the sprinkling cooling system.
environmental; dairy cows; heat stress
