HAEMATOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED GRADED LEVELS OF SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas) MEAL

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels of sweet potato meal on performance and haematological indices of broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and eighty Anak strain dayold broiler chickens were fed varying levels of sweet potato meal at 0, 5, 10 and 15% dietary inclusion levels. The birds were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments which were replicated four times with fifteen birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. The compounded experimental diets (starter and finisher) were fed ad libitum. Fresh clean drinking water was given ad libitum throughout the days of the experiment. Routine medications and vaccinations were also observed. Results of haematological indices revealed no significant (p>0.05) differences in White Blood Cells (WBC), Haemoglobin (Hb), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) and Lymphocyte (LYM) across the treatments. However, significant (p<0.05) difference was observed in the concentration of Red Blood Cells (RBC). It was concluded that dietary inclusion of sweet potato meal up to 15% in the diet of broiler
chickens at both starter and finisher phases had no negative effects on performance and haematological indices of the birds.