Haematological and biochemical responses of starter broiler chickens fed copper and probiotic supplemented diets

A study was conducted to investigate the haematological and biochemical responses of starter broiler chickens fed copper and probiotics supplemented diets. A total of 180-day old Marshal broiler chicks were randomly allotted to six treatment groups of 30 birds each. The treatments were divided into three replicates of ten birds each; starter diet was formulated and fed for a period of twenty-eight days. The dietary treatments were subjected to complete randomized design arranged in a 2×3 factorial arrangement was made up of probiotics (0 and 500ppm) and copper (0, 125 and 250mg). Data were collected on haematological and serum biochemical indices. Data obtained were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and, Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was used to separate significant means. Dietary supplementation of copper and probiotics showed significant influence (P 0.05) copper × probiotic interaction influence on packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell, neutrophil and monocyte. It can be concluded that dietary copper and probiotics supplementation had significant interaction influence on birds at 250 mg/kg copper × 500 ppm probiotics /kg supplemental level. It could be inferred that the supplementation of both copper and probiotics to starter broiler diet significantly improved the immune-competence of the broiler starters. Key words : haematological; biochemical; copper; probiotics; broiler chicken.