Haematological parameters of Hungarian, farmed ostriches

Abstract

The analysis of haematological parameters is of great importance from a diagnostic point of view and is important on a global scale as well. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of the month, farm, bird age, and sex on blood haematology values and to make a reference range for diagnostic purposes for ostriches. Blood samples were taken during the slaughter of the birds in October and November, 2021 and in May and June, 2022. In total, 22 females and 33 males aged between 8 and 60 months from three farms in eastern Hungary were included in the evaluation. Temperature and humidity data were also collected in the indicated months. The month, farm, and age of birds strongly influenced the haematology values. The white blood cell count (WBC) was the highest in June and the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) was the lowest in May. Farm “B” differed from the two other farms in the mean cell volume (MCV), expressing the lowest mean cell value. For the 8–10- and 15–17-month-old birds, the red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), and haematocrit (HCT) showed lower values compared to the 11–13- and 48–60-month-old birds. The white blood cell count (WBC), mid-cell count (MID#), and granulocyte count (GRAN#) were the highest for the 8–10- and 11–13-month old age groups; the mean cell volume (MCV) was the highest for the 48–60-month-olds. Differences could not be explained by the weather conditions. Contrary to the literature, birds on farms using probiotics did not always show higher haematological values. To draw more precise conclusions, diagnostic and serum chemical analyses should also be performed in the future.