Haematological parameters of broiler birds fed low levels of turmeric (Curcuma longa)powder as feed supplement

Abstract

With the gradual rise in human population, an increasing demand for poultry meat/egg as a source of protein is expected in the nearest future. This and increasing cost of antibiotics and other drugs in addition to their residual effects when used as feed additives have necessitated research into natural herbal plants that could serve as cheap and good alternative to commercial (synthetic) antibiotics. The study aimed to determine if there is any beneficial effect in hematological profile of broilers fed low levels of turmeric (Curcuma longa). One hundred and twenty (120) one-day-old broiler birds (Cobb 500) were raised for seven (7) weeks at the Aliyu Jodi Veterinary Clinic farm in Sokoto metropolis, Sokoto State, Nigeria. The birds were randomly assigned to four (4) treatment groups (TC, T1, T2, and T3) of thirty (30) birds each and were fed turmeric powder at levels of 0g per 25 kg of feed, 50g per 25 kg of feed, 100 g per 25 kg of feed, and 150 g per 25kg feed respectively. Each of the four (4) treatment-groups was further sub-grouped into three (3) replicas of ten (10) birds each. At seven (7) weeks old, one (1) bird was randomly selected from each of the replicas for hematological profile. The results indicated that, turmeric powder had no significant (P> 0.05) effect on hematological profile (RBC, PVC, and WBC) of the broilers. Feeding broiler birds with low levels of turmeric powder had no statistical significance on hematology parameters evaluated in this study