Hb%, PCV and leucocytes (except, M% and E%), in DLC of growers and adults are within the normal range for JQ mentioned by Ritchie et al. (1994). Also, long and short diameter of erythrocytes of common quail reported by above author is similar to this study which may be due to common features between these two species. Except, MCV of adults, all other erythrocytic parameters of this study are within the range mentioned for adult JQ by Agina et al. (2017). Hb% and PCV are higher in males irrespective of age group, except PCV of CM. This may be due to presence of androgens in males as mentioned by Aengwanich et al. (2007) and CM has negligible androgen. Hb% and PCV of JQ chicks and TEC of growers are consistent with 1 month old Fayoumi and local chicks from Sylhet, Bangladesh studied by Islam et al. (2004). TEC and PCV of adult JQ are comparable to 6 to 12 month’s old chicken studied by Sharmin and Myenuddin (2004), adult helmeted guinea fowl (Nalubamba et al. 2010), adult female indigenous chicken (Hachesoo et al. 2011) and eight weeks old JQ from Tamilnadu (Pandian et al. 2012). Growers and adults of this study, also have TEC like that of 6th and 7th week JQ from Aizawl reported by Ali et al. (2012). Freely moving birds considered in this study show very different erythrocytic parameters compared to Cage-raised JQ reported by Aina and Ajibade (2014) which may be due to difference in rearing process. Hb% content of chick and adult JQ in our present study is consistent with earlier records of Puspamitra et al. (2014) for same categories. JQ CM and GM and both adults have comparable PCV, Hb & MCV and TEC respectively with 4th week male, 7th week male & 8th week female and 25th week NN chicken respectively studied by Sen et al. (2017). Hb% content of JQ adults matches with the Hb% content of 8 weeks old three lines of quail and their crosses. Eight weeks old purebred dark brown quail can be compared to GF with respect to PCV values observed by Meshabaz et al. (2017). TEC and PCV of adult JQ match with adult IR and MY ducks mentioned by Acharya et al. (2019). Consistency with the same parameters of ducks may have occurred as both belong to same clade Galloanserae as per Livezey and Zushi (2007). Moreover, changes due to storage related artefact increase size of RBC which results into increase in PCV and MCV. Wild type quails studied by Aydin et al. (2008) have similar RBC content and MCHC with that of grower female and male respectively. Onyeyili et al. (1992) worked on six to eight months old grey breasted Guinea fowl which corroborates with adult quails with respect to PCV. Findings of Olayemi (2009) about MCH of adult Guinea fowls is in accordance with adult JQ from this study.
TLC of chick JQ is in accordance with young Nigerian ducks as per Olayemi et al. (2003) and quails as per Kabir (2012). H/L ratio of JQ chicks is similar with 6-8 months old Thai indigenous chicken mentioned by Simaraks et al. (2004), as this parameter depends upon calculation based on L% and H%. H/L is useful to gauge the level of stress of the animals. Heteropenia can occur during severe stress. More L% and less H% recorded in this study are consistent with previous studies of Islam et al. (2004) and Aengwanich et al. (2007). Smaller birds are reported to have fewer leukocytes. But if the TLC goes below 3000, then it’s not normal. Moreover, the most ignored fact is that avian leukopenia can occur due to artefacts in sample which may result into alterations. Other factors such as, clotting of blood before pushing into anticoagulant vials, lysis of blood cells before counts, transport and storage technique and duration may result into pseudo leukopenia (false shortage of leukocytes). Preparation of blood smears also effect DLC. Real leukopenia occurs due to pathological conditions such as severe bacterial, fungal, protozoan or viral infection or due to physiological stress like exposure to toxic substances, crowding etc as suggested by Clark et al. (2009). As age increases, L% come down and H% goes up and which may be a possible reason for increase in H/L ratio. Mostly, birds contain high H% but there are exceptions also whose L% are higher in DLC as described by Schmidt et al. (2009). Heterophils are at the front line while defencing against antigens or pathogens and are good at physiological stress management as explained by Lazăr et al. (2012) which may be the reason of low H% in this study. The likeliness of chick stage JQ and cage-raised chick JQ studied by Aina and Ajibade (2014), with respect to H/L may be calculative as L% and H% does not match. The exceptionally large L% and M% are indication of some sort of infection by parasites or by antigens according to Charles-Smith et al. (2014). This may be because of free – ranging of the birds as they are reared by local farmers in backyard. Aydin et al. (2008) studied recessive white quail which have a likeness in H/L ratio with that of GF, which may be mere calculative as their study do not reflect the H% and L%. Earlier study performed by Mihailov et al. (1999) on 150 days old JQ and by Nalubamba et al. (2010) on adult Zambian helmeted Guinea fowl reflects higher L% and lower H% as observed in this report, though all these studies do not have exact similarity in terms of their percentages but the trend is same. Consistency exists between L% and E% of adult female JQ with previous studies of Dalai et al. (2015). Similarly, GM JQ have similar H% with that of 7th week female NN chicken and B% of both growers and AM JQ have similarity with all groups of NN chicken reported by Sen et al. (2017). TLC of AM JQ matches with adult IR ducks of both sexes. Moreover, AM JQ is in accordance with adult IR female with respect to L%. Similarly, E% and B% of adult JQ matches with that of adult IR ducks studied by Acharya et al. (2019).
Erythrocytic dimensions and monocyte CL of JQ chicks are in accordance with the study of Tadjalli et al. (2003) on 3 weeks old JQ. Nuclear dimensions of red blood cells of capture and culture Asian eel mentioned by Ponsen et al. (2009) match with this study. Erythrocyte CL/CB of CF have similarity with 13-30 months old female ostriches reflected in the work of Sabino et al. (2011) which may be due to same sex or may be due to same formula by which this parameter is calculated as length and breadth are different in these cases. CL of erythrocytes of JQ chicks corroborates with chicken broilers of 44 days age studied by Nowaczewski and Kontecka (2012). From the study of Narkkong et al. (2011) it is clear that diameter of large lymphocyte Grus Antigone Sharpii has some similarity with dimensions of lymphocyte CL with present study, but in this study, lymphocytes are not distinguished as large or small. Also, monocyte CL and heterophil dimensions of chick JQ reflects likeliness with Eastern Sarus Crane. Monocyte dimension of marine teleost porcupine fish reported by Radhakrishnan et al. (1976) is similar to this study. Moreover, measurement of all the granulocytes is within the range mentioned by Lucas and Jamroz (1961). CL and CB of RBC and heterophils of CM and CF corroborates with 2-month-old Sikhar chicken mentioned by Mayengbam et al. (2020). The CB of basophil of CM is in accordance with size of basophil of quail studied by Shalini et al. (2018). Erythrocyte CL and CB of CM and CF respectively are in accordance with adult Rhea reported by Gallo et al. (2015) and adult Uttara fowl by Khan et al. (2016). Also, the mean diameter of heterophil of Uttara fowl matches with heterophil CL of CM from this study. Erythrocyte CL and CB of CF corroborates with female caged chicken and CM has similarity with female caged and free-roaming ducks for RBC length reported by Smith and Hattingh (1979). CB and NB of red blood cell of CF corroborate with that of mallards mentioned by Driver (1981). NB of CF is in accordance with Imperial and Golden Eagle researched by Polo et al. (1992) and pheasant chicks recorded by Keçeci and Çöl (2011).
Hb%, TEC, M% and H% are more in males compared to females when observed in all age groups which may be due to level of their sex hormones. Oestrogen in females lowers these parameters, whereas testosterone works just oppositely by enhancing these characteristics. Similar is the condition related to cytometry of RBC, monocyte and heterophil in chicks. But other parameters are more in females compared to males which may be calculative or physiological or pathological or environmental. The non-significant difference in haematological parameters between of three ages groups and sexes of JQ and cytometrical differences in CM and CF might have occurred because of physiology, pathology, nutrition, environment, duration of storage of blood samples, transport of blood samples sexually immaturity in chick stage birds or calculative. The current study establishes that haematological parameters change with respect to age and sex in JQ and similarities or dissimilarities with studies undertaken by other researchers and by us earlier might occur due to age, sex, climate, temperature, stress, hormone etc. or artefactual. This study may shed lime light for assessing the effect of above parameters on the quality of JQ poultry products and may help future researchers to take into consideration the above factors while interpreting scientific data.