EFFECTS OF GRADED LEVELS DIETARY LYSINE SUPPLEMENT ON BLOOD PARAMETERS OF BROILER FINISHER CHICKENS

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of graded levels dietary lysine supplement on blood parameters of broiler finisher chickens. One hundred and fifty (150) 4 weeks old, unsexed, broiler chickens brooded on commercial broiler starter diets were divided into to five (5) groups of 30 birds. Each, group was further divided into three (3) replicates of ten (10) birds in Completely Randomised Design. They were then allotted to and fed five experimental diets containing 0.125, 0.100 (control), 0.075, 0.050 and 0.025 % levels of lysine supplement along with clean drinking water ad libitum for 4 weeks (28 days). The birds were raised in deep litter pens. At the end of the 4 weeks feeding, two birds from each replicate were selected and slaughtered and blood collected from the jugular vein for Haematological and serum analyses. Results for haematological parameters showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin concentration (HB), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), White Blood Cell Count (WBC), Neutrophils and Lymphocytes. However, Red Blood Cell (RBC) count and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) differed significantly (P<0.05). The serum protein, albumin, globulin, urea and cholesterol levels were significantly different (P<0.05) between treatments. Only creatinine levels were not affected (P>0.05) by lysine supplement levels though the patterns were inconsistent. It was concluded that broiler finisher diets can be supplemented at 0.025 % lysine without any adverse effects on blood parameters.