HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF YANKASA RAMS FED BAOBAB (Adonsonia digitata) SEED MEAL AS A PROTEIN REPLACEMENT FOR COWPEA HUSK IN BAUCHI METROPOLIS
Keywords:
Yanksa rams, Baobab seed meal, Cowpea husk, Haemato-biochemical indicesAbstract
A study was conducted to assess the haematological and biochemical indices of Yankasa rams fed diets containing baobab seed meal as a protein replacement for cowpea husk. The study was conducted at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching and Research Farm, Bauchi. Sixteen (16) Yankasa rams were
used. The animals were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments groups A, B, C and D in a completely randomised design (CRD). Feeds and water were offered ad-libitum, while the feeding trial lasted 84 days. Blood samples were collected and analysed for various parameters. The results showed that, red blood cells
(RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (HB), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), were not affected (P>0.05) by the dietary treatments. Glucose, protein, albumin and blood urea nitrogen were also
not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. It was concluded that, baobab seed meal as a protein source did not affect haematological and biochemical parameters of the animals Therefore, the use of baobab seed meal is recommended as a protein source for optimum production in ruminant animals.
