EFFECT OF PLUMAGE COLOUR ON HAEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM  PARAMETERS OF INDIGENOUS NORMAL FEATHERED CHICKENS

E. A.  Faith; S. I.  Ogiri; A. A.  Aliyu; A. A.  Ibrahim; A. M.  Maku

doi:10.51791/njap.vi.8725

Authors

E. A. Faith College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State, P.M.B. 33, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
S. I. Ogiri College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State, P.M.B. 33, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
A. A. Aliyu College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State, P.M.B. 33, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
A. A. Ibrahim College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State, P.M.B. 33, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
A. M. Maku College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Lafia, Nasarawa State, P.M.B. 33, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.8725

Keywords:

Plumage colour, blood haematology, serum biochemistry, indigenous chickens

Abstract

This study was carried to examine the effect of plumage colour on haematological and serum parameters of indigenous normal feathered chickens. A total of two hundred (200) adult chickens with different plumage colours comprising of black, white, red, brown and grey of both sexes reared by smallholder farmers in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria were randomly sampled. 3ml of blood samples were taken from the wing veins from forty birds of five plumage colours for laboratory analysis. The parameters measured for haematology were Haemoglobin Concentration (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Red Blood Cell (RBC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Neutrophils (N), Lymphocytes (L), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) while serum parameters were total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, urea, glucose and triglycerides. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was adopted for the analysis. The result showed significant (P<0.05) difference for Hb, MCV/ MCH their higher values (10.65, 106.0/ 35.00) were recorded for grey plumage-coloured chickens. Urea concentration was significant (P<0.05) and the least concentration (1.15) was recorded for brown plumage although the result does not significantly differ from those of black plumage. Based on the results of this study, it could be concluded that grey plumage-coloured chickens stand a better chance for selection in times of blood quality counts, brown plumage colour chickens would have a better renal function and feed utilization due to lower concentration of urea in their blood serum.