Haemoglobin Type, Haematology and Morphometric Characteristics of Muscovy Ducks Reared in Calabar, Nigeria

This study determined the haemoglobin polymorphism, haematology and morphometric characteristics of Muscovy ducks. A total of 80 adult Muscovy ducks (40 per sex) respectively were used for the study which lasted 60 days. Blood samples of the ducks were collected and analysed for haemoglobin type and haematological traits while body weight (BWT) and body parts such as body girth (BG), wing length (WL), keel length (KL), shank length (SL), body length (BL), thigh length (TL) and Body circumference (BC) were taken and subjected to one –way ANOVA.  Drakes exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher values in body girth, body length and thigh length than the ducks. Average values recorded were BWT (2040 g), BC (30.43cm), KL (25.75cm), BL (25.78cm) and TL (4.85cm).  Haemoglobin types found among the ducks were Hb AA, AB and BB, males being predominantly of Hb BB and females of Hb AA.  Gene frequencies of 0.5435 and 0.4565 were recorded for alleles A and B respectively among the ducks. Genotype frequencies were AA (39.14%), AB (30.43%) and BB (30.43%). Some average haematological values recorded were Packed Cell Volume (PCV) (29.86%), Erythrocytes Sedimentation Rate (ESR) (7.34mm/hr), Haemoglobin Concentration (HBC) (11.93g/dl), Red Blood Cell Counts (RBC) (2.4 × 106/L) and White Blood Cell (WBC) (1.98 × 103/L). Results of body morphometry from this research could serve as an important basis for characterization, conservation and improvement of this duck breed in the study location. The establishment of the haemoglobin types of ducks in Calabar is a precursor to the determination of its relationship(s) with economic traits in the birds. Haematological values recorded in this study showed that the ducks were in normal condition of health and growth.