Effects of supplementing broiler feed with coconut shell charcoal on their serum biochemical and haematological parameters, total coliform and bacterial counts

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing broiler feeds with different levels of Coconut Shell Charcoal (CSC) on the serum biochemistry, haematological parameters and gut microbial count (Total coliform count; TCC and Total Bacterial Count; TBC). The experiment was conducted with a total of 90 unsexed Day-Old broiler chicks of Ross 308 strains and it lasted for fifty-six days. The chicks were randomly allotted to six different treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, containing 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 0% CSC respectively) with each having 15 birds and each treatment further divided into three replicates of five (5) birds in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). While the T1 and T6 did not have coconut shell charcoal, the treatment 6 was administered antibiotics when necessary (this would serve as a marker in the measure of blood parameters and microbial load). The result from the analysis of these data showed that the supplementation of the feed with charcoal, significantly affected (P<0.05) only a few of the serum (Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alanine Aminotransferase) and haematological parameters (Platelets). However, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the TCC and TBC but the counts were higher in the treatments with charcoal than the control. Therefore, irrespective of the fact that the use of coconut shell charcoal at these levels was not detrimental to the birds with respect to haematology and serum biochemical parameters, its use at these levels (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) is not recommended since these levels were suspected to increase the gut bacterial and coliform count of the broiler birds. The total white blood cell was highest in the treatment six which entails that administering antibiotics was a better way of boosting immunity than the coconut shell charcoal.