Effect of Dietary Sweet Potato Powder Supplementation on the Haematological Profile of Tenyi Vo Pig

Pig production constitutes a vital component of the rural livestock economy in the North Eastern Hill region of India, particularly in Nagaland, where indigenous and crossbred pigs significantly contribute to nutritional security and livelihood support. In view of the increasing emphasis on cost-effective feeding strategies and sustainable resource utilization, exploration of locally available alternative energy sources such as sweet potato assumes considerable importance for improving pig productivity under smallholder production systems. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of graded levels of sweet potato powder supplementation on the haematological profile of Tenyi Vo pigs and to establish baseline physiological reference values under North Eastern Hill conditions. Twenty-four (n = 24) weaned Tenyi Vo pigs were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments comprising a control (T1) and sweet potato powder supplementation at 100 g/kg (T2), 150 g/kg (T3) and 200 g/kg (T4) of concentrate feed. The experiment was conducted for 13 weeks under standard management conditions. Blood samples were analysed for red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and platelet count. Significant (P < 0.05) differences were observed in RBC, Hb and platelet counts, whereas WBC, PCV and MCV remained non-significant. RBC values ranged from 6.70 to 7.73 ×10⁶ cells/µL, haemoglobin from 13.25 to 14.88 g/dL, and platelet counts from 3.12 to 3.97 ×10⁵ cells/µL, indicating improved erythropoietic response with higher supplementation levels. All haematological parameters remained within normal physiological limits. The findings suggest that sweet potato powder can be safely incorporated into grower pig diets as a viable alternative energy source under North Eastern Hill conditions.