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GROWTH RESPONSE AND HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF NOILER BIRDS FED VARYING DIETARY LEVELS OF SODIUM BENZOATE
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1  Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
Academic Editor: Elisabete Matos

Abstract:

There have been consequential side effects from the use of antibiotics growth promoters in poultry, such as drug resistance and residual effects on consumers. This has led to international restriction on the use of antibiotics, putting pressure on the poultry industry to search for suitable natural alternatives that have similar beneficial effects (Braconi et al., 2021). This trial investigated the growth response and haematology of Noiler birds fed dietary additive levels of sodium benzoate (SB). One hundred and twenty (120)-day-old Noiler chicks were used for the 8-week trial. Randomized into four treatments with three replicates of ten (10) birds each, commercial diet (HYBRIDTM) was used with the inclusion levels of SB at 0 g, 200 g, 400 g, and 600 g per 100 kg of feed, representing T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Data collected on final body weight (FBW), total weight gain (TWG), average daily weight gain (ADWG), dressed carcass weight (DCW), total feed intake (TFI), feed cost/kg gain (FC/kg gain), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), and haemoglobin (HB) were subjected to a One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and significantly different means were separated using Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test at a 5% level of probability. FBW, TWG, ADWG, DCW, TFI, and FC/kg gain were significantly (p<0.05) better in T4 (1356.87±0.57g, 1321.82±0.41g, 23.60±0.39, 1061.75±1.50, 7292.48±1.21 and 1366.48) than in T1 (1198.87±0.80, 1162.63±0.91, 20.76±0.21, 1011.11±1.17, 7103.28±1.22 and 1512.8), respectively. Treatment 4 significantly (p<0.05) improved the haematological parameters, PCV, RBC, and HB (35.67±0.21%, 11.27±0.33X106 and 9.46±0.05g/dl) compared to T1 (33.33±0.42%, 10.42±0.19X106, and 8.40± 0.07g/dl, respectively). The study revealed that at all the levels of inclusion of SB in the experimental diets, there was no recorded mortality, indicating zero toxicity for the birds. It was concluded that incorporating 600 g SB/100 kg feed in Noiler diets was a more economical approach to feeding the birds, produced healthier birds, and more effectively improved growth performance.

Keywords: Growth; Noiler; Sodium benzoate; Mortality; Hematology, Performance; Antibiotics; Phythogenics.

 
 
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