HAEMATOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF USING GARLIC AS AN ADDITIVE IN BROILER PRODUCTION

Abstract

An experiment that involved the haematological effects of using garlic (Allium sativum) as an additive in broiler production was carried out in Livestock Investigation Department (L.I.D) of the National Veterinary Research Institute (N.V.R.I), Vom. The experiment lasted for eight weeks. A total of 144 day old broiler chicks of Aburica breed were used for the study in a completely randomized design (CRD). The birds were allotted into four (4) treatments with each having three (3) replicates. Processed garlic was added into the drinking water of each treatment at Og, 3g, 6g and 9g per liter of drinking water representing treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The result of haematological analysis showed that all the parameters were significantly (P>0.05) different across the dietary treatments. The white blood cells did not show significant (P<0.05) difference except for T4 that indicates slight difference in value. However, birds in T4 gave the best in terms of white blood cells, haemoglobin, Lymphocytes and Monocytes compared to the control treatment (TI). Packed cell volume (PCV) level of T4 was the Lowest among the dietary treatment. It can therefore be concluded that garlic as an additive in drinking water showed no deleterious effect in haematological parameters of broiler chickens.