Effects of Season and Water Deprivation on Blood Cellular and Non-Cellular Components of the Aardi Goat PDF

Keywords

goats, water deprivation, summer

Abstract

In an attempt to evaluate the adaptability of Aardi goats to arid environment, 6 Aardi bucks were used to assess the effects of spring and summer seasons and 4-days of water deprivation during each season on some blood cellular and non-cellular constituents. High ambient temperature during summer caused significant rise in blood haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell counts (RBC), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), serum total protein (TP) and albumin (A) and a significant decline in mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and white blood counts (WBC) compared with their levels during moderate ambient temperature of spring. Water deprivation for 4-days caused 17% and 18% loss in body weight during spring and summer, respectively. This was accompanied by significant elevation in blood Hb, PCV and RBC to almost similar extent during spring and summer seasons. TP also rose during water deprivation especially in summer as a result of the increase in both albumin (A0 and globulin (G) concentrations, but the increase in the former was less than that in the latter, resulting in a lower A/G ratio. The similarity in body weight losses and in blood haematological changes during spring (24.8°C) and summer (35.8°C) in association with water deprivation may indicate that Aardi goats are well adapted to the arid environment.