Performance and Blood Indices of Finisher Broilers Given Graded Level of Crude Oil Contaminated Water

Abstract

The effect of crude oil on some haematological, serum biochemical evaluation and performance of broiler chickens were carried out in this present study. The experiment was carried out in one of the poultry houses in the Teaching and Research Farm of the Delta State University, Asaba Campus. A total of one hundred and forty eight day-old broiler chicks (marschall strains) were purchased from a reputable hatchery in Ibadan, Oyo State. and used for the study. At the end of the brooding period, the birds were rearranged into four treatment groups of 40 birds each with five replicates and they were subjected to crude oil contaminated water at the level of 0.0ml, 5.5ml, 10.5ml, and 15.5ml. From the results, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference between treatment groups in weight and weight gain although the mean value continue to decrease as the concentration of crude oil increases. However, there was significant (P < 0.05) difference between feed and water conversion ratio as the level of crude oil contamination increases. Haematological parameters such as packed cell volume (PCV), plasma protein (PP) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) show  significant (P < 0.05) difference while there were no significant (P > 0.05) in white blood cell count (WBC) and Red blood cell count (RBC) but the values continue to decrease as the crude oil increases. Serum characteristics show significant (P < 0.05) difference in cholesterol and albumin while there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in total protein and urea, and the mean values continue to increase as the concentration of the crude oil increases. In conclusion, the results indicate that crude oil is an environmental stressor which had effect on blood cell profile, serum indices and the general performance of the birds.

Keywords: Broiler, Birds, Crude Oil, Performance, Blood Indices