EFFECT OF VARYING LEVELS OF CASHEW LEAF MEAL (ANACARDIUM OCCIDENTALE) ON THE HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF BROILER CHICKEN

Abstract

The low nutrient utilization which is combatant to soaring cost of raising poultry has made the animal nutritionist to explore avenues to use natural feed additives to maximize the utilization of nutrients in the available feed for cost reduction. Some of these natural feed additives may impact negatively on blood parameters of broilers thereby negating their use. This study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the dietary supplementation of cashew leaf Anarcadium occidentale meal (CLM) on haematological indices of finisher broiler chicken. One hundred and twenty Anak-2000 breed of finisher broilers were distributed randomly in a completely randomized design (CRD) of four treatments replicated three times. The experimental diets consist of CLM added at levels of 0%, 1.5%, 2.5% and 3.5% in treatment 1 (control), 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The diets were fed for 28 days after which blood samples were collected for haematological analysis. The result showed a progressive significantly (p<0.05) increase in red blood cell (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), and white blood cell (WBC) as the inclusion level of CLM increased. The mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, and mean cell value (MCV) (p>0.05) reduced in diets 2, 3, and 4 compared to the control. It was concluded that CLM up to 3.5% inclusion has the potential to impact positively on haematological parameters of finisher broiler chicken and therefore should be included in the formulation of finisher broilers diets at up to 3.5%.