HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF TWO BROILER STRAINS FED FOUR DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PROPRIETARY FEEDS

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the interaction effect of different sources of feed on the haematology of two broiler strains. A total of 128-day old broiler chicks (64 Agrited- ross 308 strain and CHI-Arbor Acres strain) were randomly allocated to Eight (8) experimental treatments designated as T1 (feed D + Agrited), T2 (feed D + CHI), T3 (feed A + Agrited), T4 (feed A + CHI),T5 ( feed B + Agrited), T6 (feed B + CHI), T7 (feed C+ Agrited), T8(feed C+ CHI) in a 4x2 factorial design arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Blood samples were collected and analyzed in the laboratory. The Study showed that there were significant (P <0.05) difference in haematological indices in which White blood cell (WBC) in T4 recorded the highest (18.50 x103), although statistically similar with birds on T7 (17.50 x103), while the result also shows that WBC in T2 had the lowest value (10.50 x103). The result also showed that T3 was significantly (P <0.05) higher than other treatment in packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (HB) and Red blood cell (RBC) count (31.50%, 10.95 g/dl, and 4.50 x106) respectively. It was therefore concluded that T3 and T7can be safely used for improved poultry production and health promoting cells of the broiler birds than other feeds.