Effect of Age, Sex and Management System on Some Haematological Parameters of Intensively and Semi-Intensively Kept Chicken in Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria

The study was designed to investigate thehaematological parameters of intensively and semi-intensively kept chicken. 60 males and 60 females chickens were randomly selected from farmers in the area of study. Age of birds were ascertained from farmers and blood samples (one including anticoagulant; one whole blood) collected through wing venepuncture.Significant (P<0.001) age group effect was observed on packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC). The 150 d age group recorded the highest (P<0.001) PCV value (28.74±1.07%). Higher (P<0.001) RBC value (273.70±214 mm) was observed for age group 90 d. For WBC, the 90 d age group had the highest (P<0.001) effect (245.40±5.21 mm3) and 150 d (229.16±7.40 mm3) respectively while 60 d (155.30±5.21 mm3) and 104 d (154.90±5.21 mm3) had the least (P<0.001) respectively. A significant (P<0.001) sex effect was observed with males having higher (P<0.001) values on PCV (27.05±0.44%) and RBC (271.12±1.24 mm), and females recording higher (P<0.001) (214.20±3.01 mm3) values on WBC. There was a significant (P<0.01) effect related to the management system evident for PCV indicating a higher (P<0.01) (25.14±0.57%) effect on semi-intensively kept chicken. A significant (P<0.001) age group effect was also observed for mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Significant (P<0.001) sex effect was evident with females having highest (P<0.001) value on MCHC (17.84±0.26 g/dL) while males had higher (P<0.001) MCV (0.10±1.31 x 1015 fl). A significant (P<0.01) management system effect was also observed on MCHC indicating higher (P<0.01) value (17.52±0.30 g/dL) on intensively kept chicken. A similar significant (P<0.001) management system effect was observed for MCV (0.10±1.63 x 1015 fl) for semi-intensively kept chicken recording higher values. A significant (P<0.01) age effect was evident for power of hydrogen (PH) with the highest value recorded for 150 d (7.91±0.12) and 60 d had least value (7.31±0.09). A significant (P<0.001) sex effect was observed on PH with males having higher (P<0.01) value (7.72±0.05) and on haemoglobin concentration (Hbc) (42.40±0.60 g/dL) respectively. Generally, blood parameter values increase with age in birds while males had higher values than females.