HAEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF BROILER FINISHER CHICKENS FED DIETS CONTAINING VARYING LEVELS OF MYCOFIX®

Abstract

Three hundred (300) day old broiler birds were used for the feeding trial, while completely randomized design (CRD) was used to assign the birds to five diets, which were replicated three times each with 20 birds per replicate. The treatments were Mycofix®-containing regimens T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 at rates of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400g/100kg, respectively. The chickens were reared in a deep litter house. Clean water and feed were given free choice. On the 28th day of the trial, blood samples were drawn directly into vacutainer plastic bottles containing Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for haematological analysis and into bottles without EDTA for biochemical analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to run all collected data, and Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to distinguish between significant differences in treatment means. Packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell counts (RBC), mean corpuscular volume, and lymphocytes were not significantly different (P>0.05). The average levels of corpuscular haemoglobin and heterophils were significantly (P<0.05) influenced with higher values (MCH) 12.64 – 13.31pg and 10.30 – 13.08%. Conclusion: Mycofix® use and the inclusion levels had no negative effects on haematology and serum biochemistry, but haemoglobin and heterophils were significantly (P<0.05) increased.