Abstract:
The effects of dietary lead acetate (LA) exposure on growth performance and haematological characteristics of
broiler chickens and possible ameliorative effect of asc
orbic acid (AA) were investigated. One hundred and twenty
day
-
old broiler chicks were randomly divided into six treatment groups of 20 birds with two replicates. Six
isonitrogenous and isocalories experimental diets were compounded and fed to birds for sev
en weeks: T
1
(control)
received diet I (0mg of LA and AA/kg feed), T
2
received diet II (200mg LA/kg feed), T
3
received diet III (200mg LA
and 50mg AA/kg feed), T
4
received diet IV (200mg LA and 100mg AA/kg feed), T
5
received diet V (200mg LA and
150mg AA/k
g feed) and T
6
received diet VI (200mg LA and 200mg AA/kg feed). Finally, two birds per replicate were
randomly selected, weighed and slaughtered. For haematology, blood samples were collected into labelled EDTA
-
bottles. PCV, RBC, WBC and Hb concentration
w
ere determined using Auto Haem a
nalyzer. T
2
showed significantly
(P<0.05)
decreased body weight and dressed weight than the control
.
Although
depressive effects of LA on body
weight gain, feed intake an
d feed conversion ratio were
significant. Birds in other treatments compared favourably
with the control. Dietary lead significantly (P<0.05) reduced WBC in T
2
, while it significantly (P<0.05) and non
-
significant (P>0.05) lowered haemoglobin and RBC in T
2
and
T
6
respectively. The PCV
was numerically lowered in T
2
and T
6.
However, haematology of AA
treated
groups, especially those of T
3
and T
4
compares favourably with the
control. In conclusion, dietary lead exposure negatively affects growth performance and haematology of broilers,
w
hich was ameliorated by as low as 50mg AA/kg diet supplementation.
