A study on haematology and serum biochemistry of wattled and non-wattled Red Sokoto does and their offspring

Abstract

Wattle is of utmost ornamental importance for courting potential mates and influencing thermoregulatory mechanisms which help the animal adapt to the environment. It also provides information on relationship between haematological and serum biochemical parameters. A study on haematology and serum biochemistry of wattled and non-wattled Red Sokoto does and their offspring was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Production, Federal University of Technology, Minna. Fifty-two (52) Red Sokoto goats comprising of thirty-two(32) does, four (4) bucks and sixteen (16) weaned kids managed semi-intensively were used for the study. Blood samples were collected using 5 ml syringe and 22-gauge needle from the jugular vein. 5 ml of blood was collected from each goat used out of which 2.5 ml was dispensed into Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) bottle while the remaining 2.5 ml was dispensed into plain (anticoagulant free) bottles and labelled properly according to the treatment group. Data collected were analyzed using SAS statistical package. It was observed: that wattle had significant effect (p<0.05) on Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Chloride, Phosphorus, Cholesterol, Total protein, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Total Bilirubin of Red Sokoto Does but had no significant influence on the haematology and serum biochemistry of wean Red Sokoto kids. Does in T3 had the highest MCH values of 63.50 mmo/l while treatments T1, T2 and T4 had values of 23.00 mmo/l, 33.00 mmo/l and 34.00 mmo/l respectively. Also Does in T2, T3 and T4 recorded higher calcium levels of 2.54 mmo/l, 2.56 mmo/l and 2.61 mmo/l respectively compared to values of 2.29 mmo/l recorded in T1. These relevant influence of wattle therefore should suggest the deployment of deliberate effort to preserve the wattle gene to prevent the goats carrying the gene from going to extinction.