Vol. 43, No. 4, 1999
SOME HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN HEALTHY PEKING DUCKS
Jantošovič, J., Šály, J., Kozák, M., Kušev, J., Magic, D., Jr., Vrabec, V.
University of Veterinary Medicine
Komenskeho 73
041 81 Kosice
The Slovak Republic
Summary
Some haematological parameters - haemoglobin level, white and red blood count, leukogram values, sedimentation rate of erythrocytes, haemotocrit values, specific weight, osmotic resistance and blood sedimentation rate - were observed in healthy Peking ducks.
The erythrocyte count in young birds was on the average lower than that in adult individuals. The differences in the red and white blood count as well as in the haemoglobin level, which could have been caused by sex, have not been found. The differences have been found only in the values of heterophils and lymphocytes; lymphocytes were more numerous in ducks and heterophils in drakes.
In both ducks and drakes, the differences in the sedimentation values at individual time intervals were very small (1-2 mm). In comparison with the ducks at the first few hours, erythrocytes sedimented slower in drakes, and from h 6 their sedimentation slightly accelerated.
Relatively small differences were found between the haematocrit values in ducks and drakes. In this species of birds, no sexual differences which are significant in domestic galliformes were observed in the haematocrit value. Lower values were recorded in ducks at the age of 2 months.
The values of the blood specific weight ranged from 1.052 to 1.062 with the average of 1.059.
The mean value of osmotic resistance of erythrocytes was as follows: for minimal resistance 0.47 (0.44-0.52) and for maximal resistance 0.38 (0.34-0.42).
The blood coagulation rate ranged from 2 minutes and 20 seconds to 5 minutes and 5 seconds, with the average of 4 minutes and 9 seconds.
Key words: duck; blood count; erythrocytes; sedimentation of erythrocytes; haematocrit values; specific weigth; osmotic resistence; blood coagulation
References
Folia Veterinaria / 1999