HAEMATOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC RESPONSES OF BROILER FINISHER CHICKENS TO DIETARY BLOOD MEAL AS REPLACEMENT FOR CRYSTALLINE LYSINE

Abstract

This study evaluated the haematological and economic responses of broiler finisher chickens to dietary blood meal as replacement for crystalline lysine (CL). Four experimental diets were formulated in such a way that Diet 1 (control) contained 0% blood meal and 0.25% CL, while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 1, 2 and 3% blood meal respectively without CL. One hundred and twenty Abor acre broiler finisher chickens of 4 weeks of age were used for the study and the birds were randomly distributed in a completely randomized design into four treatment groups and the treatment groups were then divided into three different replicates with each treatment and replicate having 10 and 30 birds respectively. At the beginning of the experiment, proximate composition of blood meal was assayed, while at the end of the experiment of 28 days, blood was collected for haematological parameters and analysed for haemoglobin, packed cell volume, red blood cell, white blood cell, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, lymphocytes and neutrophil count. Also analysed were the economic parameters namely; feed cost/kg feed, total feed cost, feed cost/weight gain ratio and profit margin. The results showed the blood meal to be high in crude protein (82.47%) and ash (7.22%) contents, but low in crude fibre (1.81%) and nitrogen free extract (6.39%). The final live weight (2550g) was significantly (p<0.05) highest for birds fed 2% dietary blood meal without CL (T3), while the least live weight value (2390g) was recorded for birds on T4 (3% dietary blood meal). Feed intake, and protein efficiency showed no significant (p>0.05) differences across the treatment groups. There was no significant (p>0.05) effect on the packed cell volume, red blood cell counts, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular haemoglobin contents. But there were significant (p<0.05) increases in white blood cell counts (20.64 - 29.05 1012mm/l), lymphocyte (41.22 - 51.66%) and neutrophil count (36.82 - 43.00%) with all increasing as the level of dietary blood meal increased in the diets. Feed cost per bird, feed cost/weight gain and profit margin improved significantly (p<0.05) as the level of dietary blood meal increased in the diets. The study concluded that dietary blood meal of 2% level in broiler finisher diets can totally replace crystalline lysine with improved live weight gain, low economic returns without compromising the blood characteristics of the birds.