HEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF JAPANESE QUAILS FED DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES IN SEMI ARID ENVIROMENT OF GASHUA, YOBE STATE

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of millet and sorghum as alternatives to maize on hematology and serum biochemical parameters of quails. Three hundred (300) day old quails were sourced form National Veterinary Institute Jos. The birds were brooded for two weeks and randomly allotted to three (3) different energy sources i.e. maize, millet and sorghum designated as treatment 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The birds were fed with experimental diets for eight weeks and blood were collected for hematology and serum biochemical parameters. Results showed that packed cell volume (50.20-56.00), red blood cells (4.72-5.21) and hemoglobin (16.98-18.38) were statistically similar (P>0.05). The serum biochemical parameters showed that total protein (36.20-39.80), globulins (11.60-14.44), total protein (36.20-39.80), glucose (12.68-14.82), cholesterol (5.36- 6.78), urea (17.80-20.00) and ASAT (1.98-2.08) were not affected by the different energy sources (P>0.05). It can be concluded that the alternative energy sources can be used in quail’s production without deleterious effects on hematology and serum biochemistry of quails in semiarid environment.