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Kumar, B., Bhatt, R.P. and Joshi, M.C. 1994. Influence of egg weight on hatching indices and posthatching growth of White Rock x Red Cornish broilers at 1200 m altitude. J. Appl. h i m . Res., 6 : 161-165.Egg weight did not affect the fluid loss during 18duys incubation in broiler e g g at 1200M altitude from mean sea level. Small and medium size eggs resulted in significantly higher hatching percentage on both total as well as fertile eggs basis which simultaneou.sly showed low late embryonic mortality in comparision to large size eggs. However, the chicks hatched ou,t from large size eggs (61 -65 g) had significantly higher chick weight and performed better during their post hatching growth.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate haematological and biochemical parameters with response to milk production of Jersey cows at high altitude in 2 different seasons (summer and winter). For each period, ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded and the temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated as indicator of thermal comfort zone for cattle. Clinically healthy lactating Jersey crossbred cows (70:70 in each season) were selected for this study. A significant increase in RBC, Hb, and HCT was recorded in winter as compared to summer. Furthermore, MCV, MCH, MCHC and PLT levels also exhibited the similar trend; whereas, the WBC, lymphocyte, monocytes, and granulocytes values were higher in summer compared to winter. Glucose and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level showed a significant increase in summer but level of albumin went significantly higher in winter. Milk production level was significantly higher in summer. These results provided an insight into the haematological and biochemical responses of Jersey crossbred cows to different environmental conditions. Hence, this study will be helpful for the better dairy cattle management in different seasons for higher production at the cold arid high altitude region.

FIC to.J THE idea of metabolic profiling work in dairy animals was hei put forward by Payne and others ( 1970, 1973). It is based on lac the concept that laboratory measurements of certain blood biochemical constituents reflect the nutritional status and metabolic health of dairy herds with or without manifesta-lip tion of clinical abnormalities. Profiling work has been suc-(P. cessfully used in many parts of the world; however, such lev studies in India are still in their infancy. Plasma lipids have val been correlated with milk yield (Kampl and others 1990, nif Abdel Samee and Ibrahim 1992) whereas cholesterol has been found to be a useful indicator to reflect the energy status of grc the animals (Aminuddin and others 1984, Calamari and oth-1 p ers 1989). As there are few reports in the literature in this area an concerning cattle maintained under varying husbandry res methods, including those kept at high altitude, the present to study was carried out to record the plasma lipids and choles-grc terol profiles and their seasonal variations in dairy cattle in mi different physiological states kept at an altitude of 1700 metres act from mean sea level in the central Himalayas, to monitor the fin herd health status. RaOne hundred and twenty apparently healthy crossbred ser dairy cattle (Holstein Friesian x Sahiwal) in different physi-the ological states, that is, non-pregnant heifers (NPH) aged 12 to hal 15 months, pregnant heifers (PH) under four to six months of rec pregnancy, empty dry cows (EDC), pregnant lactating cows rei (PLC) under four to six months of pregnancy, medium yield, HY early lactating cows (MYELC) between four to eight weeks of du lactation and yielding 8 to 12 litres of milk per day, and high ho yield, early lactating cows (HYELC) between four to eight weeks (Fi of lactation and yielding 13 to 18 litres of milk per day, were an bled during May to June (summer season, SI) and December (N] to January (winter season, S2) during the years 1997 to 1998, ass when the changes in forage feeding and meteorological con-aci ditions were recorded. The concentrate mixture and dry fod-pli der (wheat straw) fed to these animals during both the era seasons were the same; however, green fodder oat, berseem the and white clover in almost equal proportions were fed during an SI, and green maize was fed in S2' Plasma lipids and choles-19' terol were estimated as described by Zoliner and Kirsch (1962) and Maclntyre and Ralston (1954), respectively. The M( average of both the seasons was treated as the annual mean (ra for comparison among the groups, whereas the average value of all the six study groups during S1, S2 and annual means, was Fig treated as the overall group mean (OGM). Statistical analysis lev of data was performed according to Cochran and Cox (1977), MY and the confidence intervals (CIs) were computed as described (P by Rowlands and Pocock (1976). an4 The results in SI, as shown in Fig 1, revealed a significant sh4 increase in total plasma lipids in the HYELC group, compared with the other stu...