ABSTRACT
Total urine was collected from 12 adult Yankasa rams for 13 days. The rams excreted a mean urine volume of 508-0 +/- 201-6 ml each day. The total solids concentration excreted in the urine averaged 9-0 +/- 5-2 g/100g of urine. All the 178 urine samples contained protein. The urinary total protein concentration varied from 0-6 to 2-8 mg/dl. The total protein excreted was 7-0 + 2-6 mg/day of which the globulin content was 3-3 +/- 1-2 mg; mucoprotein, 2-0 +/- 0-7 mg; albumin, 1-7 + 0.6 mg; and A/G ratio, 0-52 +/- 0.06. Electrophoretic analysis of the urinary proteins showed three components which were comparable on a mobility basis with the serum proteins, namely albumin, combined alpha- and beta-globulin, and gamma-globulin. The largest fraction of the urine protein was gamma-globulin. Protein excretion in the urine of adult Yankasa rams was much lower than that reported in sheep bred for temperate climates, a trait that would have survival value in their hot, dry, semi-arid environment.
