[Investigations on the dependence of hematologic and blood chemical parameters on the age of health lambs--a contribution to the definition of reference values in sheep].

Haematological and biochemical examinations were carried out in 284 clinically healthy lambs aged from birth to nine month. The 122 male and 164 female animals belonged to the following breeds: German blackheaded mutton sheep (n = 114), Merino (n = 21), Frisian milksheep (n = 98), Texel (n = 31), Bentheimer landrace (n = 16) and Leine sheep (n = 5). The lambs were selected from a larger number of probationers by use of outlier tests. No differences were found between sexes for any of examined parameters. For the period from two to eight weeks of age breed differences could be proven for glutamate dehydrogenase and creatinin. Many parameters showed a strong dependence on the age of the lambs in a linear or polynomial function. While lymphocytes, protein, urea, creatinin, 3-hydroxybutyrate and copper increased, bilirubin, glucose, calcium, inorganic phosphate and the activities of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transferase decreased with age. Body weight had no influence on any examined parameter within the age dependence. Reference values (limits) are defined for healthy lambs and for healthy ewes, summarized from former studies.