Haematological and Serum Biochemical Responses of Ovambo Chickens Fed Provitamin A Biofortified Maize

ABSTRACT The current study was conducted to investigate the influence of provitamin A biofortified maize (PABM) diet, sex and age of birds on the haematological and serum biochemistry parameters of indigenous chickens. A total of ninety-six 13 week old male and female Ovambo chickens were reared and fed on either white maize (WM) a low vitamin A diet or a PABM based diet for eight weeks. Each diet was replicated four times. Packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte concentration (RBC), leucocytes concentration (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were measured. Albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB), total proteins (TP), triglycerides (TRI), cholesterol (CHOLES), uric acid (UA) and creatinine (CREAT) concentrations were assessed. The activity of alanine transaminase (ALT) alkaline phosphate (ALP) and aspartate transaminanse (AST) were also assayed. The PABM diet increased (p<0.05) PCV and WBC of female birds. All mean values for the haematological parameters regardless of the age, sex and diets were within the normal range. Age had an effect (p