Haematological studies on Indian pashmina goats.

Haematological studies were conducted on 61 clinically normal pashmina producing goats of the Cheghu breed, acclimatised to the temperate, humid climatic condition of Mukteswar, about 2400 m above sea level. The experimental goats comprised four age groups (birth to one month, six to nine months, three to five years and six to 10 years) of both sexes. The overall values, irrespective of age and sex, for the parameters examined were: red blood cells, 14.17 +/- 1.96 X 10(12) litre-1; haemoglobin, 7.46 +/- 0.79 g dl-1; packed cell volume, 0.31 +/- 0.04 litres litre-1; mean corpuscular volume, 21.62 +/- 2.46 fl; mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, 23.72 +/- 1.80 g dl-1; mean corpuscular haemoglobin, 5.11 +/- 0.67 pg; erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 0.00 mm at one hour; plasma protein 6.58 +/- 0.78 g dl-1; icterus index, 9.15 +/- 2.92 units; white blood cells 12.26 +/- 2.66 X 10(9) litre-1; absolute count of lymphocytes, 4.62 +/- 1.40; neutrophils, 5.91 +/- 2.84; monocytes, 0.38 +/- 0.15; eosinophils, 0.32 +/- 0.17 and basophils, 0.05 +/- 0.05 (X 10(9) litre-1). The sex of the animal did not affect the haematological parameters but the effect of age was evident. In newborn kids the haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and packed cell volume values were higher and the total leucocyte count was lower than in other age groups. As the kids grew older lymphocyte numbers decreased while neutrophils increased.