Blood parameters of one-year-old and seven-year old partridges (Alectoris chukar)

Several blood parameters were determined for 12 1-year-old and 12 7-year-old partridges to establish base line values on blood chemistry of this species. After taking blood samples, the 7-year-old birds were killed and necropsied for gross examination. With aging, there was a significant increase in plasma glucose, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), potassium, cholesterol, uric acid, and albumin. Males generally had a significantly lower lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) than females. The 7-year-old males had a significantly higher plasma cholesterol and GOT than 1-year-old males. There were no differences in plasma potassium, sodium, and calcium between partridges and data previously reported for chickens. Blood glucose levels in young and old partridge appear to be twice that for chickens, whereas cholesterol and lactic dehydrogenase levels were much lower in chickens.