Haematological profile of Messinese goat kids and their dams during the first month post-partum

The neonatal period represents a transition phase from the sheltered intrauterine to the exposed extrauterine environment. Changes in haematological profile in five pairs of twin kids and their dams were investigated over a month after the birth. During that period red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and platelets (PLT) level were determined in all animals. Two-way ANOVA showed an increase in RBC (P<0.001), WBC (P<0.0001), MCV (P<0.0001), MCHC (P<0.0001) and PLT (P<0.001). Knowledge of the blood physiological reference values in goat kids provides information useful for the diagnosis and treatment of some neonatal diseases and contributes to recognizing the adaptation mechanisms developing over their first month of life.