Biotechnological Upgrade of High Fiber-Low Protein Industrial Plant By-products in Broiler Diets: Haematology and Serum Evaluation

Aims: To investigate some haematological parameters of broilers in which composite of bio-fermented industrial plant by-products was used as crude protein supplements.

Study Design: 288 birds were picked and randomized into 6 treatments in a randomize entirely designed experiment. The data collected were subjected to One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Minitab computer model (Version 16).

Place and Duration of Study: Research study was carried out at the Teaching & Research Farm of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, a town in the Southwest Nigeria between June and September, 2016.

Methodology: A composite (PBMC) of the palm kernel meal, brewer dried grains and molasses were prepared and incorporated on dry matter basis as protein supplement at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35% inclusion levels in the experimental diets.

Results: The haemoglobin concentration (HBC) value of birds on diet with zero PBMC had the lowest significant (P<0.05) value of 6.58±0.01 g/dl. Diet on 30% PBMC inclusion had the highest HBC value of 9.06±0.06 g/dl. The packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of birds on zero PBMC inclusion were consistently lower (P<0.05) than for other birds. The mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) were similar (P0.05) for all experimental birds. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) obtained for birds on zero PBMC inclusion level had the highest significant value of 42.95±1.20g/dl but similar (P0.05) to 35.92±0.26 g/dl for birds on 25% PBMC inclusion. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was lowest (P0.05) in birds on 35% PBMC inclusion at 5.15±0.07mm3/l and highest (P0.05) in birds on 15% PBMC at 5.90±0.14 mm3/l. The highest (P0.05) serum protein of 34.91±0.14 was obtained for birds on zero PBMC inclusion level. No significant differences (P>0.05) existed among the albumin-globulin ratio for all experimental birds. The investigated blood parameters indicated high degrees of similarity in values obtained for most haematological and serum indices in all experimental diets including the control diets.

Conclusion: PBMC inclusion levels at measured quantities not exceeding 35% did not have any deleterious effects on the response criteria measured in broilers and were all within normal reported ranges.