EFFECTS OF PHYTASE AND PROBIOTICS ON HAEMATOLOGY AND SEROLOGY OF BROILER FINISHER CHICKENS

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of commercial exogenous probiotics (flavagen) and phytase (megazyme) on haematology and serology of broiler finisher chickens. The feeding trial of broiler finisher chicken was supplemented with phytase and probiotics. Two hundred and forty (240) day old Arbor Acres broiler finisher chickens were allotted at random to 6 dietary treatments, each with four (4) replicate pens of 40 birds laid in a Completely Randomized Design in a factorial arrangement. Treatment 1 (T1) (control) had 0.00% phytase/probiotics, T2 had 0.03% probiotics, T3 had 0.05% probiotics, T4 had 0.05% phytase, T5 had 0.03% probiotics/0.05% phytase and T6 had 0.05% probiotics/phytase respectively. The haematological indices had nonstatistical deviation on the main effect of phytase and the combined effect of phytase and probiotics while main effect of probiotics varied on hemoglobin. Serological indices had significant variation for the main effect of phytase while main effect of probiotics and their combination did not vary