EFFECT OF DIETARY REPLACEMENT OF MAIZE WITH GRADED LEVELS OF SORGHUM WITH AND WITHOUT ENZYME (ENZYBLEND®) ON THE HAEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF GROWING RABBITS

Abstract

Maize is one of the major sources of energy in rabbits feed. The use of sorghum is to reduce prices in feeds and effect of replacing maize as energy source for rabbit demands research. A study lasting 84 days was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Health and Production Technology, Akperan Orshi Polytechnic Yandev, Gboko to determine the haematological and serum indices of replacing yellow maize with red sorghum in rabbit diets with or without enzyme. A total of 54 weaner rabbits of mixed strains and sexes with initial body weight of 690.84-794.83g
were assigned to 9 dietary treatments containing 6 rabbits per treatment with 1 rabbit per replicate in a completely randomized design of 4×2+1 factorial arrangement having two levels of enzyblend supplementation (with & without). Dietary treatments included: D1: 0 %, D2 :25 %, D3: 50 %, D4 :75 % D5: 100 % red sorghum replacement. The results showed that, PCV, eosinophil and monocyte were Significantly (P>0.05) higher (39.75, 3.13 and 3.50 %) respectively, while WBC, HB and MCV had no significant (p<0.05) effects. Albumin, Globulin, Creatinine and Cholesterol were significantly
(P<0.05) higher (4.20, 3.24, 0.93, and 118.96) respectively. Total protein and Uric acid had no significant (P>0.05) difference for serum biochemical parameters with or without enzymes supplementation. The study therefore recommends 100 % sorghum inclusion level without any deleterious effect.