HAEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF BROILER STARTER BIRDS FED DIET SUPPLEMENTED WITH NIACIN AND YEAST

Résumé

The study was carried out to investigate the haematological and serum biochemical effect on starter broiler birds fed supplemented Niacin and yeast. Yeast and niacin were used as supplement in the feed, the level of yeast was constant in T2 (32.5g), T3 (32.5g), and T4 (32.5g), while the level of Niacin varied in T2 (1.5g), T3 (3g), and T4 (4.5g). T1 was the control ( no niacin, no yeast included).The study was carried out in the Poultry Unit, Department of Animal Science Teaching and Research Farm, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and it lasted for 8 weeks. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) day old broiler birds were randomly allotted to four (4) dietary treatments with thirty (30) birds per treatment in each pen. The animals were further divided into three replicates with ten birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). The result of the study on the haematological parameters showed that the inclusion of niacin and yeast had significant effect (P<0.05) on the Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin(MCH), and corpuscular heamoglobinconcentration(MCHC).  The result of the study on the Serum profile of broiler starter phase showed that the inclusion of Niacin and yeast had significant effect (P<0.05) on the cholesterol, triglycerides and Low density lipoprotein (LDL). It is evident from this study that majority of the parameters measured or determined did not favor high inclusion of Niacin and yeast in broiler production. However, the research had established that inclusion of niacin and yeast in broiler production, small dosages have to be administered to avoid overdoes.