Abstract
ABSTRACT: Blood samples were collected from randomly selected healthy Jabal Akhdar breed goats reared in two sites in the Jabal Akhdar region of Oman. Seven males and 65 female goats, age range 2 months to 4 years, raised in Shnoot Al-Dar village were kept under a semi-intensive system (SIS) and 2 males and 18 females, age range 4 months to 5 years, raised in Al-Ala'lana village and kept the under free range system (FRS) were studied. Serum Cu and haematological values were measured. There were no significant (p>0.05) effects of age, sex or serum copper levels on the haematology of goats, so data was pooled and only the effects of the management system on serum Cu and haematology were analysed. There were highly significant (p<0.001) differences between the two systems in all parameters studied. FRS goats were higher than SIS goats in mean values (± SE) of serum Cu (mg/l) 0.60 ± 0.07 vs 0.48 ± 0.33, red blood cells (RBC) (X1012/L) value 15.03 ± 0.42 vs 14.97 ± 0.25, mean cell volume (MCV) (fl) 21 ± 21 vs 19.57 ± 0.19, and haematocrit (HCT) (%) value 31.84 ± 0.59 vs 29.6 ± 0.35. SIS values were higher than FRS in haemoglobin (Hb) (g/dl) 9.34 ± 0.16 vs 9.26 ± 0.27, mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) (pg) 6.21 ± 0.05 vs 6.16 ± 0.08 and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (g/dl) 31.96 ± 0.38 vs 29.05 ± 0.64. Therefore, it is evident that the management system can affect the serum copper levels and haematology of the Jabal Akhdar breed of goats in the Jabal Akhdar region of Oman.