HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES IN THREE VARIETIES (NORMAL FEATHERED, NAKED NECK AND FRIZZLED FEATHER) OF INDIGENOUS CHICKENS IN AKWA IBOM STATE

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p><strong>1.0 &nbsp; &nbsp; INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p>Indigenous chickens are widely distributed in the rural areas of tropical and subtropical countries where they are kept by the majority of the rural poor. Chickens dominate about 98% of the total poultry members (ducks, turkey, and guinea fowl) kept in Africa (Gueye, 2005). &nbsp;Out of 150 million chickens in Nigeria, 120 million are indigenous and 30 million are exotic (RIM, 1992). Several investigators (Adene, 1990, Dafwang, 1990, Eshiet, and Okere 1990 and Nwosu, 1990) have reported that each rural household has an average of 11-34 chickens, 0-8 ducks, and 0-5 turkeys. Guinea fowls may also be found in many rural households in Nigeria.</p><p>RIM, 1992 revealed that the frequency distribution of the normal feathered chicken variety is about 91.81% while those of frizzled and naked neck varieties are about 5.2% and 30% respectively. Nigerian indigenous chickens have unique features that distinguish them from the exotic breeds; these unique features are characterized along genetic lines of feather and plumage colour such as the normal and frizzled feather, body structure such as the naked neck. Their products are preferred by the majority of Nigerians because of the pigmentation, taste, leanness and suitability for special dishes. Their outputs (egg and meat) are the major sources of proteins in diets and also serve as sources of income for the rural, urban and semi urban dwellers (Horst, 1989)</p><p>Haematological studies of these varieties of indigenous chickens are necessary for their proper management and genetic improvement. According to Minereole, 1996 and Onyeyili <em>et, al.,</em>&nbsp;1991, haematological studies help evaluate blood characteristics with a view to detecting various blood diseases and the effects of the non-blood diseases on the blood. In addition, haematological indices are necessary in evaluation of the animal’s responses to treatment therapy (Woerpel and Rosskopf, 1984). It provides valuable information on the immune status of animals (Krat and Suchy, 2002, Adenokola and Durotype, 2004). Such information apart from being useful for diagnostic and management purposes could be incorporated into breeding programmes for genetic improvements and proper management.</p><p>Haematological values and corresponding body weights are widely used as indices of health in large animals’ practices but are not jet used widely in poultry medicine. To indicate an objective assessment of health and diseases in any animal species, it is important to have baseline data of these clinically important indices. Values published from other continents may not be directly applicable to Africa since differences have been shown in haematological values in birds even within Africa (Cooper <em>et, al.,</em>&nbsp;1996)</p><p><strong>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; OBJECTIVES &nbsp; </strong></p><p>Evaluation of haematological parameters in three varieties (Normal Feather, Naked Neck and Frizzled Feather) of the indigenous chicken in the humid tropical environment.</p> <br><p></p>