HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN BROWN SWISS AND HOLSTEIN CATTLE AT HIGH-ALTITUDE

Standard haematological values have been calculated for female Holstei n and Brown Swiss cattle kept at high altitudes in the Andean Sierra. Overall mean values were 5.9 x 10(12) l(-1) for the red cell count, 0. 321 l(-1) for the packed cell volume, 9.6 gdl(-1) for the haemoglobin concentration, 55.0 femtolitres for the mean corpuscular volume, 30.5 gdl(-1) for the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and 16.7 pg for mean corpuscular haemoglobin. Red cell indices tended to be highe r in Holstein cattle than in Brown Swiss kept at the same altitude and were higher in cattle kept at higher altitudes. Mean white cell param eters were 9.7 x 10(9) l(-1) for total white cells, 2.6 x 10(9) l(-1) for neutrophils, 0.086 x 10(9) l(-1) for bands, 6.3 x 10(9) l(-1) for lymphocytes, 0.7 x 10(9) l(-1) for eosinophils, 0.073 x 10(9) l(-1) fo r monocytes and 0.001 x 10(9) l(-1) for basophils.