Effect of Petiveria alliacea Leaf and Root Meals on Haematological Indices of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

A 56- day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of feeding guinea hen weed (Petriveria alliacea) leaf and root meals as phytobiotics on growth, carcass, haematological and serum indices of finishing broiler birds using 192-day old chicks. Eight treatment groups were arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangements of 2 plant parts; Petiveria leaf meal (PLM) and Petiveria root meal (PRM) at 4 levels (0mg/kg, 500mg/kg, 1000mg/kg and 1500mg/kg). Each group was replicated three times with 8 birds per replicate.Haematological results revealed that most of the parameters measured were significantly affected (p<0.05) by Petiveria plant parts. Higher values were observed for PCV, Hb, RBC, and WBC count in birds fed diets containing PRM compared to birds on PLM. A reverse trend was, however, observed in lymphocytes, eosinophil, MCV and MCH count with birds on PLM diet showing higher values for these parameters. Varying levels of inclusion of PLM and PRM revealed significant (p<0.05) effects on RBC, heterophil, lymphocyte, eosinophil, MCV, MCH and H/L counts. Lymphocyte counts values increased in 0-1000 ppm supplementation but declined at 1500 ppm inclusion level. It was evident from the study that the plant parts exerted significant influence on the haematological parameters investigated.