Effect of seasonal variations on the haematochemical profile of Cholistani service bulls

Figures & data

Figure 1. Elite specimen of a brown speckled Cholistani cow with the milk yield of 15–18 L per day maintained at the Govt. Jugaitpir Farm, Bahawalpur, Pakistan (Cholistan).

Figure 2. An elite specimen of a black speckled Cholistani service bull maintained at the Semen Production Unit, Bahawalpur, Pakistan (Cholistan).

Table 1. Ingredients and nutritive value of concentrate (Anmol Wanda^®) fed to the Cholistani service bulls.

Ingredients	Inclusion level (%)
Cotton seed cake	18
Maize gluten 30	15
Canola meal	10
Maize grain broken	14
Wheat bran	25
Mollasses	16
Mineral mixture^a	2
Total	100
Nutritive value
CP	16
TDN	68

^a100 kg mineral mixture included: DCP 70.81 kg, NaCl 18.91 kg, MgSO₄ 8.64 kg, FeSO₄ 0.89 kg, ZnSO₄ 0.22 kg, CuSO₄ 0.03 kg, KI 8.77 g, CoCl₂ 0.89 g and NaSiO₃ 1.50 g.

Table 2. Average seasonal values for climatological data of Cholistan desert during the study period retrieved from the Meteorological Observatory located in Bahawalpur at latitude 29°20′ and longitude 71°47′, Pakistan.

Seasons	Ambient Temperature (°C)			Relative Humidity (%)			Rainfall (mm)
	Mean	Min^a	Max^b	Mean	Min	Max	Mean	Min	Max
Temperate Spring^c	25.4	17.3	31.3	49	37	50	0	0	0
Cool Dry Winter^d	13.2	11.2	17.8	47	38	48	2.5	0	3.5
Hot Dry Summer^e	42.8	35.7	49.8	37	25	41	3	1	4
Hot Humid Summer^f	34.0	28.9	37.2	63	47	67	72	14	87

^aMin – Minimum.

^bMax – Maximum.

^cFebruary, March, April.

^dNovember, December, January.

^eMay, June, July.

^fAugust, September, October.

Table 3. Seasonal variations in haematological parameters of Cholistani service bulls (n = 16).

Parameters	Temperate Spring	Cool Dry Winter	Hot Dry Summer	Hot Humid Summer	Overall Mean
Haemoglobin (g/L)	120.6 ± 0.2^b	110.4 ± 0.3^a	120.0 ± 0.2^a,b	120.7 ± 0.2^b	120.2 ± 0.1
Total erythrocytic count (10^12/L)	6.5 ± 0.1^a	6.0 ± 0.1^a	6.1 ± 0.1^a	6.4 ± 0.14^a	6.2 ± 0.8
Packed cell volume (%)	37.7 ± 0.8^a	36.9 ± 0.8^a	36.6 ± 0.8^a	37.8 ± 0.6^a	37.3 ± 0.4
Mean corpuscular volume (fL)	58.0 ± 0.7^a	61.6 ± 1.7^a	59.9 ± 1.0^a	59.4 ± 1.1^a	59.7 ± 0.6
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (pg)	19.5 ± 0.2^a	19.1 ± 0.6^a	19.7 ± 0.2^a	19.9 ± 0.2^a	19.5 ± 0.2
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (g/L)	330.6 ± 0.1^b	310.2 ± 1.1^a	330.0 ± 0.3^a,b	330.6 ± 0.3^b	320.8 ± 0.3
Total leukocytic count (10^9/L)	7.7 ± 0.3^a,b	7.0 ± 0.3^a	8.1 ± 0.2^b	7.3 ± 0.3^a,b	7.5 ± 0.1
Neutrophils (%)	44.4 ± 1.4^b	45.6 ± 0.8^b	29.7 ± 2.0^a	42.0 ± 1.7^b	40.4 ± 1.0
Lymphocytes (%)	51.0 ± 1.2^a	51.9 ± 0.8^a	57.7 ± 1.7^b	52.1 ± 2.3^a	53.2 ± 0.8
Monocytes (%)	2.9 ± 0.2^a,b	1.4 ± 0.2^a	7.8 ± 0.9^c	3.9 ± 1.1^b	4.0 ± 0.4
Eosinophils (%)	1.6 ± 0.2^a	1.0 ± 0.1^a	4.6 ± 0.6^b	1.8 ± 0.5^a	2.3 ± 0.2

Figures are standard error of the mean.

^a,bwithin rows means with different superscript letters differ (P < .05).

Table 4. Seasonal variations in blood serum constituents of Cholistani service bulls (n = 16).

Parameters	Temperate Spring	Cool Dry Winter	Hot Dry Summer	Hot Humid Summer	Overall Mean
Sodium (mEq/L)	137.7 ± 1.3^b	131.1 ± 0.8^a	127.4 ± 1.5^a	126.7 ± 2.2^a	130.7 ± 0.9
Potassium (mEq/L)	6.9 ± 0.2^a	7.7 ± 0.1^b	7.8 ± 0.2^b	7.5 ± 0.09^b	7.3 ± 0.1
Cholesterol (mEq/L)	2.0 ± 1.8^a,b	2.3 ± 1.3^c	1.9 ± 4.3^a	2.2 ± 2.7^b,c	2.1 ± 1.5
Glucose (mEq/L)	1.93 ± 2.8^b	2.4 ± 4.5^c	1.54 ± 2.2^a	1.85 ± 1.2^b	1.94 ± 2.0

Figures are standard error of the mean.

^a,b,cwithin rows means with different superscript letters differ (P < .05).