ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted with a total of one hundred and fifty broilers chicks to determine the effect ofsmartchoice concentrate on the haematology and serum profile of broilers. A completely randomized design was used and the experiment lasted for eight weeks. The birds were grouped into five treatment (Ti, T2, T3, T4 and T5) respectively. Ti served a control, T2 contained 2% smartchoice, T3 contained 4% smartchoice, T4 contained 6% smartchoice, T5 contained 8% smartchoice at both starter and finisher phases respectively. Blood samples were collected for haematological indices and serum biochemical indices examination. The results of haematology revealed that there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the values obtained for PCV, HB, RBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC. WBC recorded the highest value in T5 (12.48g/dl) and the least value in T2 (6.09g/dl). The highest value was obtained in T2 for PCV (30.83g/dl) for Hb in T3 (8.76g/dl), for RBC in T4 (2.52g/dl), MCV‘(126.84g/dl) in T2, MCHC (37.59) in T3. Serum urea had 4.08 in Ti (mg/dl) and the lowest was observed in T3 (0.43mg/dl), in creatinine the highest value was observed on Ti (0.62mg/dl) and the least observed in T3 (0.23mg/dl), for globulin the highest value was observed in T5 (2.29g/dl) and the least observed in Ti (1.29g/dl), for albumin and total protein the highest value was observed in T5 (1.98g/dl) and (4.27g/dl) respectively and the least values was observed in Ti (1.41g/dl) and (2.71g/dl) respectively. The high value of the WBC suggests that the birds were immunologically challenged. It can be concluded that the inclusion of smartchoice concentrate did not affect the serum profile and haematology of the birds but elevated the WBC count out the normal range.