Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the white blood cells morphology in female short-haired mink of the standard black breed in different periods of postnatal ontogenesis with the existing technology of keeping and feeding. The experiment was carried out on repair females of the short-haired standard black mink (+/+), bred in the animal farm of JSC «Breeding animal Farm «Saltykovsky» of the Moscow region. Blood samples for differential leukocyte count determination were taken in 10 females aged 4 months and 10 months, to monitor the physiological state of females in different periods of minks’ postnatal ontogenesis. Blood was taken from the finger in the morning before feeding. Peripheral blood smears were stained using May-Grunwald method for leukocyte count determination. New data on age-related changes in the leukocyte count of female short-haired mink were obtained. A decrease of the number of lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes (p<0,05) and an increase in neutrophils (p<0,001) in the blood correlated with the age of the females was found (at 4 months relative to 10 months), these changes have the similar trend as in longer hairline minks. A higher content of neutrophils 46,6-62,5% and eosinophils 3,9-7,2% was determined in comparison with dark brown (+/+) minks, which may be due to the genotypic features of black minks. The following indicators of productivity in the studied females were established: Breeding performance was 5,63±0,64 puppies, young animals productivity on the main female was 4,40±0,77 puppies. The obtained data characterize the physiological state of the animal organism in the adaptation process to the existing technology of keeping and feeding, and can be used for evaluation and research the impact of various factors that ensure the realization of genetic potential on minks’ organism.
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