Blood parameters of goats in Botswana
1990
Koch, B.A. | Gray, R.C. (Kansas State Univ., Manhattan (U.S.A.). Dept. of Animal Sciences and Industry) | Mahabile, W. (Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone (Botswana). Dept. of Agricultural Research) | Windsor, R. | Holmes, A. | Berg, C. (Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone (Botswana). Dept. of Veterinary Services)
Concentrations in whole blood of P, Ca, Mg, total protein and urea in serum and rd (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) were examined monthly for two years in Botswana goats to establish normal concentrations and to evaluate the effect of supplementation with an equal-parts mixture of salt and dicalcium phosphate or drought relief cubes. Overall mean levels observed for the parameters were: Ca, 8.91 +- 1.61 mg 100 ml** (-1); P, 5.15 +- 1.52 mg 100 ml** (-1); Mg, 2.59 +- 0.71 mg 100 ml** (-1); Cu, 135.39 +- 80.08 mg 100 ml** (-1); total protein, 7.83 +- 1.36 g 100 ml** (-1); urea, 44.42 +- 17.32 mg 100 ml** (-1); RBC's, 11.34 +- 2.10 x 10** (6) mm** (-3); and WBC's, 13.28 +- 3.93 x 10** (3) mm** (-3). Supplemented goats had higher (P 0.01) concentrations of Ca; P levels were unchanged. Mineral-mixture supplemented goats had lower (P 0.01) concentrations of total protein, urea and WBC's and higher (P 0.01) levels of RBC's. Goats receiving a drought relief cube supplement had lower (P 0.01) concentrations of total protein and higher (P 0.01) levels of WBC's. All observations fell within the normal ranges quoted in the literature with the exception that total protein and urea were higher. It was concluded that supplemental feeding was of minimal value under the environmental conditions of this study.
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