Assessing the haematology and serum chemistry of Uda rams fed different Kanwa based mineral licks

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Department of Animal Science’s Teaching and Research farm of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto to evaluate the effect of feeding different kanwa based mineral licks on blood profile of Uda rams. Blood of twenty (20) yearlings Uda rams aged by dentition were used to evaluate the effect of Kanwa¬-based mineral blocks. Four (4) animals were allotted to each treatment (Kanwa block) with each animal serving as a replicate. The Kanwa used were Kanwan Bai-Bai, Kanwan Kolo, Hogga, Balma and conventional mineral lick to represent treatment 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Data was collected at the end of the experiment. The result of haematological analysis showed significant (p<0.05) differences in all the parameters analysed except PCV, MCH, WBC and eosinophil; the result indicated that all the values where within the normal reference range except in MCHC where animals placed in T2 and T3 shows values slightly above the normal range. The result of serum biochemistry showed that all the values measured were within the normal reference range for sheep except the albumin of animals placed in T3 which had values slightly above the normal range. The serum mineral composition showed that Potassium levels were higher in T2 and lower in T4; however, there was no difference between animals placed in treatments 1, 2 and 3, so also between treatments 1, 3 and 4. The study concluded that Kanwa positively affected sheep production with no adverse effect on both haematological and serum chemistry, hence little health hazard is associated with feeding Kanwa-based blocks on growing Uda rams.