Abstract
Animals (85) were studied to search out the most reliable marker of high mortality of neonatal buffalo calves. Over and above the control calves, the calves treated with neem oil and their periparturient dams were also included. Profile of erythrocytes of periparturient cows and buffaloes was almost identical, except ESR of the buffaloes to the tune of 12 mm/h and 23 mm/h, respectively, during pre-and post-parturn periods. However, the higher values of ESR in buffaloes were also recorded, in neonatal buffalo calves, though, at lower ebbs. The total leucocytes were higher in periparturient cows compared to buffaloes, but the same was in reverse order in calves of both species. The L : N ratio was higher in periparturient cows (1.76 and 4.4). However, the same was significantly lower in buffalo calves (0.8 at precolostral feeding and 0.5 at 9 1 st day of neonatal life). The blood platelet count was higher in buffalo calves throughout the neonatal period under study than the cow calves and their dams. Administration of Neem oil @ 10 ml/day orally exhibited the beneficial effects in so for as haernatological improvement is concerned. The total plasma protein and fractions of the periparturient dams was nearly 10 g %, but it was only 6-7 g % in the neonatal calves of both the species. Prothrombin time of buffalo calves was higher than the cow calves. The low protein profile of neonatal buffalo calves is indicative of juvenile function of the liver and other defense making systems.