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Browsing Articles by Author "Azi, J.A."

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    Haematology and serum biochemistry of rabbits fed acha (Digitaria exilis) offal meal-based diets supplemented with Maxigrains® enzyme
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2021-01-09) Azi, J.A.; Samuel, Emmanuel Alu; Ogah, D.M.; Muhammad, Kabir Baba
    Food-feed competition between human and animals has necessitated farmers to turn to alternative feed resources such as Acha Offal. Forty eight rabbits of mixed breeds and similar live weight were utilized in an experiment to evaluate the effect of feeding acha offal mealbased diets supplemented with Maxigrain enzyme on their haematology and serum biochemistry. The experiment had two phases (weaner and grower) each lasting for 42 days. Six treatments diets namely T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 were compounded to be iso-caloric (2700kcal/kg) and iso-nitrogenous (18% crude protein) for the weaner phase while (15% crude protein) and isocaloric (2500kcal/kg) for the grower phase. The Acha Offal (AO) was included at 0, 15 and 30% while the enzyme was supplemented at 0 and 200ppm. The experiment was arranged in a 2x3 factorial fitted into a Completely Randomized Design. Each treatment was replicated 4 times having two rabbits per replicate. Feed and water were provided to the animals daily and all standard routine management practices were strictly observed throughout the experimental period. At the end of the feeding trial, blood samples were collected from each animal for blood analyses. The results show that there was no significant (P>0.05) variation on the haematological and biochemical parameters due to enzyme or AO effect. In the growing phase, main effect of AO was not significant (P>0.05) on the haematological parameters except on white blood cell (WBC) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Effect of enzymes on growing rabbit was not significantly different (P>0.05) except on WBC at 0ppm (5.75 x109/L) and 200ppm (6.60 x109/L) and on MCHC at 0ppm (33.27 x109/L) and 200ppm (33.20 x109/L). The Interactive effect of AO and enzyme showed that T2 had the highest WBC (8.80 x109/L) while T4 had the lowest MCHC (33.10 x109/L). Serum biochemical parameters were not affected by Acha offal except phosphorus where there was a significant (P<0.05) reduction in 30% AO (1.35g/dL). Enzymes effect showed that animals on 0ppm had significantly (P<0.05) higher phosphorus (1.83g/dl) than 200ppm (1.38g/dL). Acha offal supplemented with Maxigrain enzyme can be included in the diets of grower rabbits without adverse effect on haematological and serum biochemical indices