Effect of Cassava Peels and Palm Kernel Cake Meal Mixtures on the Heamatological and Serum Biochemical of Finisher Pigs

Abstract

The research was carried out for a period of twenty two (22) weeks at the Piggery unit of the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of cassava peels and palm kernel cake (PKC) mixture at 1:1 ratio on haematological and serum biochemical of finisher pigs. Fourty (40) finisher pigs of large white breed were used for the study. Each group of finisher pigs contained eight pigs per treatment, were respectively allocated to five treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). At the end of the twenty two (22) weeks feeding trial, ten pigs consisting of two pigs per treatment were randomly selected; animals were starved of feed for 12 hours before blood samples were collected from the two pigs each per treatment via the ear vein using a sterilized disposable syringe and needle. The parameters determined were red blood cells (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), total protein, albumin, globulin and serum cholesterol. This finding therefore recommended that cassava peels/pkc mixtures can successfully replace maize in finisher pigs ration without any adverse effect on the animals and consumers, since the haematological and serum biochemical parameters fell within normal values for pigs.