HAEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF FINISHER BROILER CHICKENS FED MAIWA MILLET (PENNISETUM GLAUCUM L.) AS REPLACEMENT FOR PEARL MILLET

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the haemato-biochemical indices of finisher broiler chickens fed Maiwa millet based diets. Five experimental diets in which Maiwa millet replaced pearl millet at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels respectively, were formulated and coded as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. A total of three hundred finisher broiler chickens with average weight of 987±3.70 g each were randomly allotted to the five diets in replicates of four containing 15 birds each in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum and the study lasted for twenty-eight days. Results for haematological analysis indicated no significant (P<0.05) difference in terms of PCV (29.00 – 34.25%), Hb (9.72 – 11.42g/dl), RBC (2.41 – 3.51 x106 mm3). However, white blood cell count showed a significant (P<0.05) influence of maiwa millet. Birds on diets, T1, T3, T4 and T5 (5.26 -7.20 x103 mm3), which were similar, had higher counts than those on T2 (4.55 x103 mm3). Serum biochemical assay revealed no significant (P>0.05) effect of diet on total protein (27.94 – 30.55g/dl), albumin (15.59 – 16.70g/dl), globulin (12.42 – 16.51g/dl), cholesterol (68.81 -75.41mg/dl), Urea (7.74 – 8.06 mmol/l) and glucose (5.52 – 6.46 mg/dl). It was therefore concluded that maiwa millet can replace pearl millet at 25% level in broiler finisher diets without any adverse effect on blood composition