Additive Effects of Rhizophora Racemose (Red Mangrove) On Blood and the Bursa of Fabricus of Broilers

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt to determine the additive effect of pulverized Rhizophora racemosa (Red Mangrove) leaves on the hematology and bursa of Fabricus of broilers. Sixty (60) day-old, Anak broiler chicks were allocated into four treatment groups (A, B, C, and D) of 15 birds each, and replicated three times with five birds per replicate. The birds were administered with ground, dried mangrove leaves at graded levels of 40 g//kg feed (group B), 50 g/kg feed (group C) and 60 g/kg feed (group D), respectively, while group A served as control (without mangrove leaves). At the end of 56 days feeding trial, the packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell Count (WBC), hemoglobin concentration and the size of the bursa of Fabricus of the broilers were determined. Results showed that the values of the PVC, WBC and Hb concentration of the groups that received R. racemosa (B, C and D) were higher than those of the control group. The bursa of Fabricus also weighed more in the R. racemosa groups than the control. It was therefore concluded that R. racemosa blood improvement properties and also that R. racemosa could increase the resistance of broilers to infection.