Haematological Parameters of Savanna Brown Does Fed Varying Dietary Levels of Flamboyant Tree Seed Meal

Abstract

Fifteen (15) nuliparous Savanna Brown does aged 6-8 months with a mean live weight of 9.55 kg were randomly allotted into five dietary treatments comprising of three animals per treatment. Five different diets with varying levels of flamboyant tree seed meal were fed as supplement at the rate of 0.50 kg/head/day. T₁ which had no flamboyant tree seed served as control while diet T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ which served as the treatment diet had 25, 50, 75 and 100% flamboyant tree seed meal, respectively. The animals were managed semi-intensively. 5 mls of blood samples were collected via jugular vein puncture into well labeled EDTA bottles and were immediately placed in an ice-chest containing ice cubes and analyzed within 2 h of collection for blood glucose, protein and plasma urea. The average total blood glucose and protein were significantly (p<0.05) different with diets T₁ and T₂ recording higher values while plasma urea level did not differ significantly (p<0.05) among the treatment groups. All the values obtained were within the recommended normal range. It is therefore concluded that up to 100% level of inclusion of flamboyant tree seed meal in the diets of Savanna Brown does was not deleterious on the blood parameters.