Table 5. Pearson’s correlation coefficients for USpG, creatinine, faecal output and bodyweight for each complete cycle or for the respective periods within each cycle.

	Anoestrus		Pro-oestrus		Postoestrus		Primary P4 rise		Secondary P4 rise		Complete cycle
	n	Pearson’s r	n	Pearson’s r	n	Pearson’s r	n	Pearson’s r	n	Pearson’s r	n	Pearson’s r
USpG—Creatinine
Tian Tian 2013	60	0.940**	46	0.839**	12	0.388	78	0.731**	53	0.923**	249	0.823**
Tian Tian 2014	79	0.933**	10	0.984**	4	0.917	81	0.855**	58	0.873**	232	0.859**
Tian Tian 2015	76	0.931**	16	0.813**	5	0.975*	100	0.882**	20	0.789**	217	0.819**
Tian Tian 2016	190	0.915**	11	0.880**	4	0.884	120	0.903**	41	0.878**	366	0.805**
Tian Tian 2017	92	0.839**	11	0.735*	6	0.902*	125	0.872**	46	0.904**	280	0.894**
Hao Hao 2016			28	0.861**	17	0.805**	64	0.788**	49	0.969**	163	0.894**
USpG—Faeces output
Tian Tian 2013	35	-0.392*	11	0.267	2	-1.000**	65	-0.004	44	-0.337*	157	-0.462**
Tian Tian 2014	78	-0.016					74	-0.168	39	-0.412*	182	-0.121
Tian Tian 2015	75	-0.024	7	0.128	3	-0.282	93	-0.149	22	-0.646**	200	-0.273**
Tian Tian 2016	159	-0.049	6	-0.339	3	-0.596	90	-0.378**	34	-0.405*	291	-0.338**
Tian Tian 2017	80	-0.077	6	0.176	3	0.327	116	0.275**	35	-0.632**	240	-0.535**
Hao Hao 2016			6	-0.126	4	-0.631	61	0.066	44	-0.539**	115	-0.497**
Creatinine—Faeces output
Tian Tian 2013	47	-0.450**	14	0.139	5	0.079	70	-0.333**	56	-0.492**	192	-0.512**
Tian Tian 2014	86	-0.148					78	-0.190	39	-0.412*	207	-0.245**
Tian Tian 2015	76	-0.085	8	-0.567	4	-0.205	91	-0.198	20	-0.699**	199	-0.401**
Tian Tian 2016	161	-0.131	7	-0.394	3	-0.890	92	-0.454**	36	-0.494**	299	-0.383**
Tian Tian 2017	80	-0.189	6	-0.798	3	-0.826	116	-0.410**	35	-0.605**	240	-0.511**
Hao Hao 2016			6	-0.417	4	-0.934	61	0.097	44	-0.593**	115	-0.625**
Bodyweight—Faeces output
Tian Tian 2013	48	0.143	6	0.420	5	0.776	70	0.705**	23	0.842**	152	0.678**
Tian Tian 2014	86	0.203					77	0.657**	21	0.795**	187	0.643**
Tian Tian 2015	75	0.390**	4	0.658			95	0.756**	16	0.824**	191	0.629**
Tian Tian 2016	144	0.526**					88	0.694**	9	0.613	242	0.718**
Tian Tian 2017	78	0.406**					114	0.721**			196	0.782**
Bodyweight—Creatinine
Tian Tian 2013	47	0.116	6	-0.566	5	0.030	70	-0.508**	23	0.691**	151	-0.455**
Tian Tian 2014	86	0.143					78	0.393**	22	-0.754**	190	-0.144*
Tian Tian 2015	76	-0.085	6	0.496			92	-0.173	14	-0.785**	189	-0.140
Tian Tian 2016	147	-0.069					90	-0.459**	9	-0.911**	247	-0.382**
Tian Tian 2017	80	0.009					114	-0.348**			198	-0.350**
Bodyweight—USpG
Tian Tian 2013	35	0.073	5	-0.511	2	1.000**	65	0.085	18	-0.562*	125	-0.252**
Tian Tian 2014	78	0.243*					74	0.412**	15	-0.582*	168	-0.015
Tian Tian 2015	75	-0.036	6	0.270			94	-0.167	16	-0.264	192	-0.158*
Tian Tian 2016	145	-0.008					88	-0.436**	9	-0.872**	243	-0.359**
Tian Tian 2017	80	0.053					114	-0.296**			198	-0.376**

Significant coefficients are flagged (significant if p < 0.05 (*); ** = p < 0.01).

USpG = urinary specific gravity; n = number of samples; r = correlation coefficient.