HEMATOLOGY OF MARSHALL BROILER CHICKEN FED DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DIETARY ENERGY DURING THE HOT DRY PERIOD IN SEMI-ARID ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding different dietary energy levels on the Hematological parameters of marshall Broiler chickens during the hot dry period in semi-arid environment. A total of 200 broiler chickens were randomly divided into four treatment groups replicated 5 times with 10 birds per replicate and 50 birds per treatment. . Four experimental diets were prepared containing 2,800(T1), 2,900(T2), 3000(T3) and 3100 (T4) kcal/kg of ME with iso crude protein of 21%. Each experimental diet was fed to the birds for a period of 4 weeks (finisher phase) Hematological parameters test were also carried out with 5 birds per treatment and the result of (PCV,Hb,T1T2 WBC and T2,T3,T4 monocytes) were all found within the normal range. However,the result of MCV,MCH,MCHC and lymphocytes were found to be above the normal range, while that of RBC,heterophil,T3T4 WBC and T1monocytes were found below the normal range.Basophil and eosinophil were not found in blood circulation in all of the treatments.The result also showed that T3 and T4 (3000-3100kcal/ME) should be fed to marshall broiler bird at both starter and finisher phase in hot season of semi arid sokoto for optimum performance