Haematology values and effect of age and reproductive stage on haematological parameters of Chios sheep

Abstract

The main aim of the present study was to determine the values of the haematological parameters of dairy sheep reared under intensive and semi-intensive conditions, as well as to test for the effects of age and reproductive stage of the animals on the values of these parameters. In total, 200 clinically healthy Chios sheep from 10 farms of Central Macedonia were used in the study. For the determination of the effect of age 150 sheep were assigned in three groups. Group A consisted of 50 lambs aged 3-6 months (meantSD: 4.45±1.22 months), group Β of 50 non-pregnant ewes into lactation aged 1-3 years (meantSD: 2.18±0.74 years) and group C of 50 non-pregnant ewes into lactation aged more than 3 years (meantSD: 5.88±1.87 years). For evaluating the effect of reproductive status 50 pregnant ewes in dry period were used, 15-30 days before the expected day of lambing (group D), along with the 100 non-pregnant ewes into lactation of groups Β and C (group E). Blood sampling was performed once, in dry ewes from December to January, and in lambs and lactating ewes from March to May. The mean values of the determined haematological parameters were within the range provided by the literature, except for red blood cells count of ewes. The results also showed that haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and platelets count were significantly affected by the age; only monocytes and eosinophils count by the reproductive stage of the animals.