Haematological Response and Blood Chemistry of Yankasa Rams Fed Graded Levels of Tamarindus indica (Tamarind) Leaves

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of graded levels of tamarind leaves (Tamarindus indica) based diets on the haematological and serum biochemical parameters of Yankasa rams. Twelve (12) rams with an average weight of 17.4 kg were allotted to three treatments. The treatments evaluated were 0%, 15% and 30% inclusion levels of the test ingredient in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The diets were iso-nitrogenous and the trial lasted for eight (8) weeks. Effect of the diets on haematology, serum chemistry and serum electrolytes were determined. The results reveal no significant difference (P> 0.05) in packed cell volume, red blood cell, haemoglobin, urea, total proteins, creatinine and the serum electrolytes between control and study animals. However, significant increases (P< 0.05) were obtained in the globulin (3.95, 4.05 and 4.45 g/dl for 0%, 15% and 30% inclusion levels respectively) and cholesterol levels (2.70, 3.20 and 3.60 mmol/l respectively) with increase in T. indica leaves. It is concluded that inclusion of tamarind leaves in the diet of Yankasa rams had no deleterious effect on the haematological parameters evaluated. It is recommended that further study on the feeding potential of T. indica be conducted on other species of livestock to ascertain the feeding value of same