| Popis: |
SUMMARY Ayrshire bull calves, castrated at the age of 3 months, were kept housed for the following 27 months for an experiment on husk. The blood picture as given by the average for groups varying from nine to fifteen steers is recorded, and is shown to be closely similar to the results previously observed in heifers, this included the phenomenon by which, with advancing age, erythrocytes fell in number but increased in size. Under the conditions that prevailed estimations of PCV of steers differed from those recorded for heifers of the same breed in that they fell from the average of 31 per cent, held up to the eighth month, to 27 per cent at r year. Values then increased in a statistically significant regression to 33 per cent at 30 months. This rise in PCV was largely balanced by a fall in MCHC from 39·6 to 35·6 per cent, leaving the haemoglobin estimations largely the same. Taking into consideration the results of other workers it was concluded that these differences were not due to sex alone and that for all practical purposes steers and heifers under the same conditions of environment could be accepted as having the same blood picture. |
