The influence of sex and feeding season on the hematological and biochemical parameters of thoroughbred blood foals
2003
Grela, E.R. (Akademia Rolnicza, Lublin (Poland). Inst. Zywienia Zwierzat) | Pastuszak, J. | Czech, A. (Akademia Rolnicza, Lublin (Poland). Katedra Biochemii i Toksykologii)) | Kempa, J. (Stadnina Koni, Kozienice (Poland))
The aim of the examinations was to determine the impact of sex and feeding period on some biochemical and hematological indicators of thoroughbred blood foals. The experiment was conducted between February and June 2002 in the Horse Stud in Kozienice (Poland). The experiment was carried out on 20 one-year-old foals. The studies included the winter and spring-summer feeding periods. In the winter season the animals were fed three times. In the morning and evening feeding they were given rolled ground oat, while at noon - a mixture of ground oat, maize and wheat and also horse bean seeds. Meadow hay was administered 3 times a day. In the summer the animals stayed at pasture and were fed up oat twice a day. The horses were stabled in single boxes. In each of the analysed feeding periods, blood for determination was sampled twice at two-week intervals. The first blood was taken in February, whereas the last in the middle of June. Blood samples were collected from the external jugular vein prior to the morning feeding. In full blood the following hematological indicators were established: Ht and Hb content, number RBC and WBC, while in blood serum: content of glucose, total protein, triglicerides, total cholesterol, HDL fraction and alkaline phosphatase activity. In blood serum the content of the following minerals was also determined: P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn and Fe. No significant impact of sex or feeding period was reported on the analysed hematological indicators of foals blood. However, significantly higher activity of alkaline phosphatase and HDL fraction content was recorded, yet it was lower for LDL and total protein, total cholesterol and triglicerides in blood serum of horses in the winter feeding period. The spring-summer feeding resulted in an increase of Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe content in foal blood serum compared to the winter season. A substantially higher level of Na and Fe was observed in stallions' blood as compared the mares. The other mineral components in blood did not show any statistically significant differences within the sex
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