Haematological and serum biochemical indices of broiler chicks fed cooked and differently fermented shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) cake meal

Abstract

A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the haematological and biochemical response of broiler chicks fed Cooked and Fermented Shea Butter Cake Meal (CFSBCM). Shea butter cakes were processed by adding the cakes into water already boiled to 1000C and were boiled for thirty (30) minutes after which they were later fermented for different periods of 3, 6 and 9 days. Thereafter, processed seeds were air-dried and milled to obtain fine particles of the test ingredient. Using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), ninety-six (96) unsexed Ross 308 strains of broiler chicks were allocated to four (4) dietary treatments containing twenty-four (24) birds in each treatment and each treatment replicated four times with six (6) birds per replicate. The control diet (T1) had only maize meal without CFSBCM while the experimental diets contained 20% of CFSBCM fermented for 3, 6 and 9 days and were labelled T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The birds were fed all the experimental diets for four (4) weeks and on completion of the experiment on the 28th day, blood samples were collected and taken to laboratory for the analysis of haematological and serum biochemical indices. The results showed that of all the haematological parameters measured, significant difference (P<0.05) only exist in the values of Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) while values of other parameters showed no significant difference (P>0.05). Values obtained from the serum biochemistry analysis of experimental birds showed that significant difference (p<0.05) exist in the values of the serum glucose, total protein, uric acid, creatinine and triglycerides while no significant differences (p>0.05) were recorded on serum albumin, alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). The results showed that the longer the fermentation days, the better the haematological and serum biochemical indices of broiler chicks.