Haematological Values of Broilers Managed on Titanium Dioxide Treated Litter

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of TiO2 applied in Og/m", 30g/m, 60g/m and 120g/m concentration, as a litter treatment agent on litter bacteriology, haematology, ammonla emisslon and ammonia lesions on broilers fed standard commercial diet and water ad lib on wood shavings based deep litter system at a depth of 6cm and 16birds/m. Litter samples were collected weekly for ammonia while tissue samples were collected at the seventh week for histology and blood samples were als0 collected via cardiac venipuncture for haematology and blood chemistry. The result showed that RBC and wc were significantly (P<0.05) elevated in Og/mTio, treatment (3.86x10, 2.93x10, 3.01x102 2.34x10 and 27.16x10", 26.41x10', 21.47x10", 21.84x10") respectively. MCH and MCV were significantly (P<0.05) elevated (28.60pg, 34.26pg, 30.96pg, 44.71pg and 87.42f, 103.41fl, 93.62f1, 134.52f1) in the 120g/m Tiolitter treatments. There was a significant (P<0.05) elevation in serum sodium (132.27mEq/, 135.07mEql, 135.33mEql, 138.67mEq/); potassium (4.12mEq/, 4.18mEq/l, 4.03mEq/, 4.47mEq/); globulin (1.23g/dl, 1.85g/dl. 1.35g/dl, 2.47g/dl) and conjugated bilirubin (5.11mgldl, 5.52mg/dl, 5.56mgidi, 6.07mg/di) in 120g/mTio, litter treatment. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in ammonia even though 60g/m°Tio, litter treatment retained more ammonia (29.77, 29.25, 33.16, 30.01). It was concluded that Tio, is beneficial as a litter treatment agent especially at 60g/m rate.