HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN WEST AFRICAN DWARF (WAD) BUCKS FED DIETS CONTAINING MILLETIA THONNINGII

Abstract

Twelve adult West African Dwarf (WAD) bucks were randomized into three treatment groups (A, B and C) of 
four animals each. They were fed with the same ration of 0% Milletia thonningii for four weeks to allow for 
acclimatization and basal data were collected for all the bucks. They were later introduced to the test diet group 
A bucks were given 0% Milletia thonningii as control, group B, 17% M. thonningii while group C received 34% M. 
thonningii in their feed for 8 weeks. Their clinical parameters were recorded as follows: Rectal temperature 
(degrees centigrate ± S.D) were 38.84 ± 0.38, 38.48 ± 0.15 and 37.88 ± 0.58 for groups A, B and C respectively. 
The mean respiratory rates (beats/minute, ± S.D.) were 31.20 ± 3.42, 39.80 ± 4.02, 30.40 ± 3.36 for groups A, B 
and C respectively. The mean heart rates (beats/minutes ± S.D.) 82.00 ± 5.52, 66.20 ± 3.56 and 70.00 ± 3.67 
for groups A, B and C respectively. There was a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the heart rate in groups B and 
C when compared with the control Group A. The P.C.V. across the three groups were not significantly different 
from each other (P>0.05) the Red Blood Cell count (X1012/L) was highest in Group B with 12.85 ± 6.24 and 
lowest in Group C with 10.25 ± 4.29, while the white blood cells (X109/L) was highest in group C (11.07 X 6.25) 
and lowest with the control group a, (7.59 ± 3.39). The total protein (g/100ml) of groups B (5.84 ± 0.42) and C 
(6.13 ± 0.52) were not significantly different (P<0.05) from each other but were significantly different from group 
A (5.06 ± 0.91) (P<0.05). The Aspartate amino transferese (AST) enzyme were within normal values in all the 
three groups while the values for Alanine amino transferase (ALT) enzyme were higher than normal. Based on 
these results the inclusion of between 17-34% of Milletia thonningii in feeds of WAD buck as protein supplement 
is recommended: