The effect of age and sex on selected haematological and biochemical parameters in Dalmatian Pramenka lambs

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of age and sex on selected haematological and blood biochemical parameters in organically raised Dalmatian Pramenka lambs. Haematological and blood biochemical parameters were studied in 40 lambs with an equal representation of both sexes. The research lasted four months. Blood samples were collected once per month, from the beginning of the grazing season when lambs were at the average age of three months, and until the end of the production cycle for lamb meat. The distribution of the results according to age showed that the increase in the age of the lambs significantly reduced (P<0.05) the RBC, HGB, HCT and the concentration of GLU, BUN, BIT. The concentration of TP, ALB, GLO and the activity of enzyme AST significantly increased (P<0.05) with the increasing age of the lambs. The distribution of results by sex showed that female lambs had significantly higher WBC (P<0.05), RBC (P<0.01), and HGB (P<0.05) concentration, while male lambs had significantly higher values of MCV (P<0.01) and concentration of FFA (P<0.01). In conclusion, this research demonstrated that age and sex significantly influence most of the haematological and blood biochemical parameters of organically raised Dalmatian Pramenka lambs.