Hematological Parameters in Hair Goats During and out of Breeding Season Hair Goats Seasonal Hematological Parameters

Background: The hair goat of Anatolia is a breed that has adapted to rugged and mountainous areas and is known to be very resistant to diseases. As the world faces the problem of climate change, we believe that knowing the hematological characteristics of hair goats will provide great benefits for goat breeding. Objectives: This study was performed to determine possible differences in the blood parameters of adult (male and female) hair goats during and out of the breeding season. Methods: For this purpose, blood samples were taken from clinically healthy adult male and female hair goats (n=36, 3-4 years old) in the spring and autumn seasons. Regarding the whole blood, white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean red blood cell volume (MCV), mean red blood cell hemoglobin (MCH), average red blood cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) values were determined. Results: In the study, MCV values in males were not significantly (P≥0.05) different between spring and autumn, while all other parameters showed significant differences (P≤0.05). In females, WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct, and RDW blood values were higher in the autumn (estrus period) than in the spring (anestrus period), and the differences were found to be significant (P≤0.05). Comparing males and females between the estrus and anestrus seasons, WBC and MCHC were found to be significantly different (P≤0.05) between males and females in May. In contrast, the difference between other parameters was not significant. In October (estrus season), the MCV value was not significantly different between males and females; however, all other parameters were significantly different (P≤0.05). Conclusion: As a result, there were significant differences in hematological parameters of hair goats based on gender and the breeding season.