In an extensive system, sheep are exposed to direct solar radiation and thermal variations throughout the day, resulting in behavioural changes and varied physiological responses. The silvopastoral system has the premise to reduce the radiant thermal load for animals under shading. However, little is known regarding the behavioural responses of ewes and lambs under shaded areas. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether different production systems may influence the behaviour of lambs and ewes during the postpartum period. Twenty-four hair coat ewes (Dorper x Santa Inês) in the postpartum period and their lambs (n = 24) were randomly assigned to a silvopasture system or open pasture exposure, from December 2018 to February 2019. The following microclimate variables: air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were recorded and used to calculate the temperature and humidity index (THI). Behavioural data were obtained by 0/1 focal sampling with 10 min of observation being recorded every 30 min over 12 h. The following behavioural variables were assessed: standing at rest, lying down, standing ruminating, lying ruminating, panting and water intake. The data were analyzed using the Bayesian inference method, using the R software and the brms package. Regarding the THI values, the silvopastoral system provided a more comfortable thermal environment (75 ± 0.4) compared to an open pasture (77 ± 0.8). However, these conditions were still outside the normal range for sheep. Animals in the open pasture system were more likely to pant (probability between 0.6−0.8), while the chance of lying and standing ruminating (above 0.5) was higher in animals in the silvopastoral system. Moreover, animals in the silvopastoral group are less likely to pant (below 0.4), allowing them more time to rest and ruminate in the milder temperatures of the day. Our results highlight the potential of the silvopastoral system for the thermal comfort of sheep and lambs in the postpartum period.

在一个广泛的系统中，绵羊全天都暴露在直接的太阳辐射和热变化中，导致行为改变和不同的生理反应。林牧系统的前提是减少遮荫下动物的辐射热负荷。然而，关于母羊和羔羊在阴影区域下的行为反应知之甚少。因此，本研究旨在评估不同的生产系统是否会影响产后羔羊和母羊的行为。从 2018 年 12 月到 2019 年 2 月，将 24 头产后毛母羊（Dorper x Santa Inês）及其羔羊（n = 24）随机分配到林牧系统或露天牧场暴露。以下小气候变量：气温， 相对湿度，和风速被记录并用于计算温度和湿度指数（THI）。行为数据是通过 0/1 焦点采样获得的，在 12 小时内每 30 分钟记录 10 分钟的观察。评估了以下行为变量：静止站立、躺下、站立反刍、躺下反刍、喘气和饮水。使用贝叶斯推理方法、R 软件和 brms 包分析数据。关于 THI 值，与开放牧场 (77 ± 0.8) 相比，林牧系统提供了更舒适的热环境 (75 ± 0.4)。然而，这些条件仍然超出了绵羊的正常范围。开放牧场系统中的动物更有可能喘气（概率在 0.6-0.8 之间），而躺着和站立反刍的可能性（高于 0. 5) 在林牧系统中的动物中更高。此外，林牧组的动物喘气的可能性较小（低于 0.4），使它们有更多的时间在一天中较温和的温度下休息和反刍。我们的研究结果突出了林牧系统在产后羊和羔羊热舒适方面的潜力。