Haematology and Serum Biochemistry of Broiler Chicks Fed Mushroom Meal at Varying Levels

Abstract

An eight (8) weeks study was conducted to investigate the effect of varying inclusion levels of mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) meal on the haematology and serum biochemistry of broiler chicks. One-hundred-and twenty-Ross 308-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, with 30 birds per treatment, and three replicates having 10 birds per replicate. Mushroom meal was included at varying levels (0, 1, 1.5, 2%) in the formulated starter and finisher diets fed to the birds. The birds were fed a starter diet for the first 4 weeks and a finisher diet for the last 4 weeks, twice daily (8:00 am and 5:00 pm), with free access to water. Five hundred grams (500g) of each dried sample of Oyster mushroom and experimental diets were taken to the laboratory for the determination of their proximate composition. At the end of the experiment, ten (10mls) of blood was collected from three birds from each treatment groups at the end of the feeding trial via venipuncture of pinea vein using a syringe into EDTA and plain containers and taken to the biotechnology laboratory centre for determination of haematology and serum profile, respectively. The data collected were subjected to analysis using SAS 2023, and means were compared at a 5% probability level using Fisher's least Significant difference (FLSD). The crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, ash, and metabolizable energy contents were found to be 24.70, 1.41, 8.00, 7.50 % and 2454.21kcal/kg respectively. The haemoglobin, lymphocytes, and mean corpuscular heamoglobin concentration were significantly (P< 0.05) influenced by the experimental diet, with the birds in T2 recording the highest haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (15.70 and 38.12g/dl, respectively). The levels of urea and creatinine was significantly (P<0.05) highest (14.26, 0.51 mg/dl, respectively) in birds fed 2% of mushroom meal. The cholesterol and calcium levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) as the inclusion level of mushroom increased, with the lowest levels (240.7, 1.16 mg/dl respectively) observed at the 2% inclusion level. The haematological profile of the experimental birds showed that the animals were in good physiological condition throughout the period of study. Mushroom meal can therefore be included in broiler diets at a 2% inclusion level for optimal performance.