Metabolites of Broiler Chickens Fed Three Millet Varieties Based Diets as Replacement for Dietary Maize (Published)
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the blood metabolites response of broiler chickens fed different millet variety-based diets as alternative feed option in broiler diets. Four experimental diets were formulated such that the diets contained pearl millet (T2), Finger millet (T3, Douro millet (T4) and the control diet (T1) contained maize. The diets were fed to Four hundred and eighty (480) Anak 2000 strain day old broiler chicks in a 56 days feeding trial. The diets were randomly assigned to four groups of 120 birds in a completely Randomized Experimental Research Design (CRD) replicated 3 times with 40 birds per replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The results obtained showed no significant differences (p<0.05) in all the parameters measured on haematological parameters. The serum biochemical indices showed that total protein (22.67-34.00), albumin (9.67-15.00), urea (0.23-0.96), creatinine (21.33-35.00), cholesterol (1.70-2.38) were significantly (p>0.05) affected by the experimental diets. Althogh, the values for glucose (9.56-9.86) and bilirubin (7.5-9.43) were statistically similar. It was concluded that Dauro and finger millet varieties can favorably replace maize in broiler diets without adverse effects on blood haematology and biochemistry of broiler chickens and thus, will help reduce the cost of broiler production especially for farmers in the millet production areas.
Keywords: Metabolites, broilers, millet based diets
HEMATOLOGICAL GROWTH AND BLOOD METABOLITE RESPONSES IN THE MONOCULTURE OF JUVENILE CLARIAS GARIEPINUS TO INCREASING STOCKING DENSITY (Published)
A ten (10) week feeding trial was undertaken to assess the growth performance, nutrient utilization and blood metabolites of eight week old Juvenile Clarias griepinus of average weight range 250gm — 300gm stocked under 5 different treatments (10 (Trt I), 15 (Trt 2), 20 (Trt 3), 25 (Trt 4) and 30 (Trt 5) Juvenile Clarias gariepinus/25O litre bowl (under laboratory conditions) with increasing stocking densities. The increasing stocking density caused a decrease in value of the final fish body crude protein (Trt 1 (75.18%) > Iii 2 (73.91%) > Trt 3 (72.71%) > Trt 4 (71.21%) > Trt 5 (70.19%). A similar trend was followed in the specific growth rate (SGR) pattern decreasing from 0.20 (Trt 1) to 0.015 (Trt 5), mean weight gain (MWG) from 6.94 (Trt I) to 3.03 (Tn 5), protein efficiency ration (PER) from 0.29 (Trt I) to 0.04 (Trt 5), productive protein value (PPV) from 0.24 (Trt I) to 0.04 (Tit 5) and Net protein utilization (NPU) from 32.25 (Trt 1) to 19.28 (Trt 5). However the food conversion ratio (FCR) kept increasing from treatment (Trt 1)—88.46 to 662.31 in (Trt 5) with increasing stocking density. FCR correlation coefficient is positive (r 1.2964). Other growth and nutrient utilization parameters had negative correlations respectively. The following haematological and blood parameters (MCV, Hb, RBC, MCV, MCHC, MCH, and Total WBC) also showed significant (P <0.05) pattern of variations with stocking density. For parked cell volume (PCV) significant (P <0.05) drop were noticed from Trt 3 (26.98) to Trt 5 (2.00). Haemoglobin count (Hb) dropped from 6.97 in Trt 4 to 6.18 in Trt 5., confirming reduced activity, stressful conditions noticed at higher stocking densities along poor growth noticed in juvenile fishes in Treatment 5. The gradual and steady significant (P < 0.05) increase in WBC count of 29.26 in Itt 1 (10- fish) to 37.23 in Trt. 5 (30 fish) with increasing stocking density is also a reaction of the fish to stress. However, the Red Blood Cell Count followed a narrow range between Trt 1 2.53 — Trt 5 — 2.99, with no significance (P> 0.05) difference. All diets fed the 5 treatments were isonitrogenous at 40% crude protein.
Keywords: : Hematology, Growth, Metabolites, Monoculture, Stocking Density