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Effect of <i>Aspilia Africana</i> (Bush Marrigold) leaf extract on haematological parameters of broiler birds
Abstract
A 56 days feeding trial was conducted at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm in the Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Aspillia Africana leaf extract on the haematological parameters of broiler birds. A total of eighty four (84) day old Agrited broiler chicks used in this study were randomly grouped into four (4) treatments with three (3) replications of seven (7) birds each. The leaves were sun dried for seven days and grounded, 10g of the dried grounded leaves were dissolved in warm water and used for the research. T1 (control) received 2liters of water with no extract, T2 received 150ml/2liters of the extract, T3 received 200ml/2liters of the extract, T4 received 250ml/2liters of the extract on daily basis for 8 weeks. Blood samples were collected at the 8th week from one bird per replicate through the wing vein using a 2ml syringe and sterilized needle and placed into an EDTA container for haematological studies. Data collected from the haematological indices of the birds were subjected to statistical analysis, using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Treatment means were separated using Least Significant difference (LSD). The effect of Aspillia Africana was significant (p>0.05) on the parameters such as packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin Count (Hb), White blood cell (WBC),Red blood cell (RBC) and Neutroglobin concentration (MCHC), Lymphocytes, Monocytes, eosinophils and Basophils were significantly (p>0.05) not influenced by Aspillia Africana. The result obtained from this study indicated that T2 (150ml/2liters of the extract) gave better result compared to other levels of inclusion. It is therefore recommended that 150ml/2liters of the extract be included in the drinking water of birds because this level of inclusion possesses antibacterial property.
Keywords: Aspillia Africana, Haematology and Broilers
