HAEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS WITH AVOCADO (PERSEA AMERICANA) SEED MEAL

Abstract

The general acceptability of plants with proven records of medicinal values in the tropics in recent times has necessitated the use of dried avocado (Persea americana) seed meal in diets of broiler chickens. The study was conducted to investigate the hematological and biochemical responses of broiler chickens to various inclusion levels of avocado (Persea americana) seed meal (ASM). Two hundred broiler chickens were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8% inclusion levels of ASM. Each treatment consisted of forty birds with four replicates of ten broiler chickens per replicate. The duration of the study was six weeks and the parameters measured were Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Red Blood Cell (RBC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Platelets, Lymphocytes Neutrophils, Haemoglobin (Hb), total protein, albumin and globulin in the serum. The results showed no significant difference (P>0.05) in the heamatological parameters except lymphocytes and mean cell hemoglobin: although at the normal range which implied that the inclusion level of ASM in broiler diets had no negative effect on the birds up to 8%
inclusion level that was studied. It also has positive effect on the total protein, albumin and globulin.