Effects of Breed, Sex, Age and Season on the Blood Biochemical Parameters of Sheep in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

Blood biochemistry of indigenous sheep breeds in Bauchi, Nigeria was assessed. Blood samples were collected from one hundred and twenty sheep comprising Yankasa, Balami, Uda (32 per breed) and West Africa Dwarf (24) at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching and Research Farm, Muda Lawal, Durum and Gwallaga markets. Audio comb serum auto-analyser was used for biochemical analyses. The results indicated that Uda had the highest values of sodium (136.34±0.59 mmol/L), urea (6.10±0.30 mmol/L), total protein (7.55±0.14 mmol/L), total cholesterol (4.12±0.25 mmol/L) and alkaline phosphate (109.97±3.01 mmol/L). Aspartate amino transferase (13.68±0.38 Iµ/L) was higher in female sheep than in their male counterparts while the males had higher glucose value (5.07±0.16 mmol/L). Sodium (135±0.85 mm/L), TP (7.08±0.13 g/dl) and AP (106.81±2.16 g/dl) were higher in the dry season while those of CRT (106.21±1.93 mmol/L) and ALB (4.52±0.34 g/dl) were higher in wet season. However, the values of Na+ (135.00±0.59 mmol/L) and GLC (5.17±0.20 mmol/L) were higher in adult than in young. It was concluded that there were breed, sex, age and seasonal variations in biochemical parameters of the sheep breeds studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]