Characterisation of physiological and immunological responses in beef cows to abrupt weaning and subsequent housing

Table 1 Least squares means (s.e.) for RBC, HGB, and HCT in beef cows following abrupt weaning and subsequent housing

	Pre-weaning	Days post-weaning						Pre-housing	Days post-housing
Variable	0	2	7	14	21	28	35	0	2	7	14	21
RBC	7.4	7.5	7.2^a	6.8^a	6.9^a	7.1	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.7	7.5	7.6
(× 10⁶/μl)	(0.10)	(0.09)	(0.11)	(0.07)	(0.08)^a	(0.08)	(0.11)	(0.11)	(0.09)	(0.10)	(0.09)	(0.09)
HGB	11.9	12.1	12.0	11.6	11.9	12.1	12.0	13.3	13.4	13.6^d	13.7^d	13.7^d
(g/dl)	(0.12)	(0.12)	(0.14)	(0.12)	(0.11)	(0.10)	(0.16)	(0.16)	(0.12)	(0.14)	(0.13)	(0.14)
HCT	31.6	31.9	31.0	30.2^a	30.6^a	31.9	34.1^a	34.1	34.4	35.1^d	32.1^d	32.8^d
(%)	(0.31)	(0.31)	(0.41)	(0.32)	(0.28)	(0.26)	(0.42)	(0.42)	(0.32)	(0.37)	(0.32)	(0.35)

^a,b,cWithin a row, means differ from pre-weaning baseline by P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively. d,e,fWithin a row, means differ from pre-housing baseline by P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively. RBC: red blood cell number, HGB: haemoglobin concentration, HCT: haematocrit percentage.

ISSN: 1746-6148