COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGICAL AND
HAEMATALOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEEP
PERFORMANCES DIFFERENTIATED FROM EACH OTHER
BY FINENESS OF WOOL
Ismailov, I.
State Agricultural Academy
Stavropol, Russia
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ABSTRACT
Investigation of haematological performances was carried out with animals having different fineness of wool
that corresponds to three constitutional types of sheep raised in the new soil and climatic continental.
Differences between the above mentioned types of sheep are not proven according to the content of
hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leucocytes and common protein.
But the content of protein fractions in animals of these three groups is considerably difference.
So, content of α-globulin in ewes with thin wool is 8.7 g/litres instead of 14.1 and 13.8 g/litres in the second
and third group of sheep, but content of γ-globulin is accordingly 12.6, 14.1 and 13.6 g/litres.
The same tendency is seen in the offspring.
It is worth mentioning that such protein fractions as γ-globulin in ewes with thin wool has the least size in
comparison with the ewes with coarse wool of the same age.
That is: 14.7 g/litres intread of 17.8 and 18.8 g/litres. It may be concluded from these data that animals of the
second and the third groups with coarse wool have higher immunobiological reactivity.
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INTRODUCTION
Improvement of the existing breeds of animals and creation of new productive breeds and
flocks of animals is the basic task of present day selection.
Flocks of semi-fine wool, mutton-wool sheep of the North Caucasian breeds are created as
replacements for the low-productive merino sheep on the experimental training farm of the
Stavropol State Agricultural Academy.
At present the experimental training farm flock consists of purebred animals having a wide
range of productive characteristics. Therefore, necessity appeared to determine
constitutionally productive types of animals best suited to the zone with unstable rainfall and
having good productive qualities, early evaluation of productive and pedigree qualities of
animals. Working out on this basis selection methods gives possibilities for pedigree
livestock-raising to reduce selection project expenditures.
In solving this problem, the evaluation of potential possibilities of animals by studying
interior characteristics may give much information. The most important indicator is blood, as
fluid tissue taking part in all metabolic processes, and blood informs to some extent about all
changes in an organism.
The purpose of our research is to determine differences in hematological and
immunological performances of semi-fine, mutton-wool breeds with different fineness of
wool, kept in new (for them)soil and climatic conditions.
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MATERIAL AND METHODS
Studying of immunological and haematological performances of semifine wool, muttonwool breeds was carried out parallel with a study of zootechnical parameters of three groups
of sheep with different fineness of wool, in the range of grading quality from 60 to 48.
Sheep were divided unto groups by the constitutional type of sheep; one of the phenotypic
indicators is fineness of wool.
Animals with fine wool of 60-58 grading quality were included in the first group animals
with wool of 56-50 grading quality were included in the second group; animals with wool of
grading quality 48 were included in the third group. Amount of erythrocytes, hemoglobin,
leucocytes and common protein with its fractions (akbumin, globulin) was determined in ewes
and their offsprings.
It was noted that all studied performances varied in normal proportion and provided
physiological functioning of the organism. In a comparative aspect, group differences are not
exactly proven (Table 1).
Table 1. Performances of morphological content and protein picture of blood in ewes
Performance
Form of measure
12
Erythrocytes
x 10 /l
Hemoglobin
G/l
Group 1.
9.34
88±2.1
9
9.29±0.61
Group 2.
Group 3.
10.1±0.21
10.4±0.46
91±2.6
94±1.9
Leucocytes
x10 /l
Common protein
G/l
65.3±1.80
67.4±1.40
65.9±1.46
Albumin
G/l
33.3±1.24
35.2±1.31
35.6±1.22
-globulin
G/l
8.70±1.21
14.1±1.21
13.8±1.19
-globulin
G/l
9.40±1.70
- globulin
G/l
12.6±1.20
9.82±0.47
8.90±1.50
14.1±1.40
8.28±0.66
10.0±1.50
13.6±1.20
The amount of erythrocytes in animals with wool fineness of 58 grading quality was
9.44x1012/litres, but in animals with wool fineness of 56-50 grading quality and 48 the amount
was correspondently 10.1x1012/litres and 10.4x1012/litres. The same tendency is observed in
sheep by the content of hemoglobin, i.e. content of hemoglobin in the blood of sheep is
increasing with the process of wool coarsening. We think this fact may be explained by the
intensive character of the oxidation-reduction processes.
Studying of common protein content and its fractions in blood showed that it is in a range
of physiological norms, but the largest content of common protein is found in animals with
wool fineness of 56-60 grading quality (67.4 g/litres) the least content is found in animals with
wool fineness of 58 grading quality (65 g/litres).
Sheep with wool fineness of 58 grading quality have a reduced content of all protein
fractions in the blood. This fact informs us about the immunity reduction of an organism.
Amount of total protein and protein fractions are in the range of physiological norms in
animals with wool of 56-60 grading quality. Thus we may say that good immunological and
other processes are taking place in sheep of that given group (Table 2).
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Table 2. Performances of morphological content and protein picture of blood in lambs
Performance
Form of measure
Erythrocytes
x10
Hemoglobin
G/l
12
/l
Group 1.
Group 2.
Group 3.
10.21±0.42
10.64±0.61
10.92±0.36
120±1.6
9
4.16±0.17
128±1.2
Leucocytes
x10 /l
Common protein
G/l
67.33±0.70
62.8±0.40
70.0±0.28
Albumin
G/l
26.3±0.90
30.1±0.60
32.1±0.41
- globulin
G/l
8.30±0.80
-globulin
G/l
6.10±0.70
- globulin
G/l
14.7±0.70
4.39±0.22
116±1.4
10.4±0.70
5.90±0.60
17.8±0.50
4.00±0.24
8.80±0.40
6.70±0.40
18.8±0.80
CONCLUSIONS
It may be concluded that the same tendency is observed in lambs as in mature animals by
examining data of the blood picture (Table 2). It was shown that while the amount of
erythrocytes is increasing, the content of protein in blood is decreasing in the process of
animals maturing.
Analysis of haematological performances shows that sheep with wool fineness of 50-56
grading quality have more advantages than sheep of the other two groups. But these
advantages are not finally proved and serious correlation between haematological
performances and sheep productivity is not finally affirmed.
This condition is affirmed by immunological data. A bacteriological and lizacim activity
difference between groups is not finally proved. And these data do not seriously influence
productivity of animals.
At present, investigations of immunological performances are carried out to find
parameters that are necessary for early forcasting of animal productivity by blood.
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