BLOOD PROFILE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED SUPER SOSAT MILLET TO REPLACE MAIZE IN GROUNDNUT CAKE BASED DIETS

Abstract

A six - week experiment using 300 broiler chickens fed Super SOSAT (SSM) pearl millet to replace maize at up to 100% level in groundnut cake based diets was conducted to evaluate their blood profile. Results for haemoglobin parameters showed that except for Packed cell volume (PCV) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration, no haematological parameter was significantly (P>0.05) affected the treatments. The PCV of birds fed diet 2 (30.67 %) which was similar to 28.67 % for diet 5, was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of birds fed other diets. White blood cells count of birds ranged from 3.73 x 10³/µl (diet 4) to 4.87 x 10³/µl (diet 5), Red blood cells from 1.13 x 10⁶/µl (diet 3) to 1.50 x 10⁶/µl(diet 4), haemoglobin from 6.93 g/dl (diet 2) to 8.40 g/dl (diet 4) and Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) between 184.33  and 256.00 fl on diets 4 and 2 respectively. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) ranged from 55.57 pg (diet 5) to 71.67 pg (diet 3). However, a significant (P<0.05) difference was recorded on MCHC with birds fed diets 4 (30.33 g / dl) and 3 (31.33 g / dl) which were similar to those in diets 1(27.00 g/ dl) and 5 (27.67 g/ dl), had higher (P<0.05) values compared to those on diet 2 (20.00 g/dl). The results for serum biochemical indices indicated that with the exception of chloride, all the other parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. Higher (P<0.05) values of chloride were recorded in birds fed diet 1 (96.67 mmo / l) and lower on diet 4 (81.33 mmol / l). Values for birds on other diets (88.33 – 93.33 mmol / l) did not differ from diets 1 and 4. Values for creatinine were between 79.00 and 90.00 mmol / l on diets 2 and 5 respectively. Cholesterol values ranged from 3.60 to 5.10 mmol / l on diet 3 and 4. Cholesterol levels, which were within the normal range did not differ significantly between diets, suggesting mild metabolic changes, but these were not statistically significant. The result for glucose indicated a range of 6.20 mmol / l on the control diet to 8.43 mmol / l on diet 4. There were also no significant effects  on total protein and the values ranged from 7.87 (diet 2) to 10.20 g / dl (diet 5). All the values for haematological and serum biochemical parameters obtained in this study were within the normal range for healthy birds. It is concluded that super SOSAT millet can completely replace dietary maize in broiler chickens without significant metabolic disruptions. Based on the result of this study, super SOSAT millet can be used to replace maize in broiler chickens’ diets at up to 100% without compromising health status of the birds.