Effect of Dietary High Levels of Heat Treated Locally Produced Flaxseeds on Body Weight Gain and Immune Response of Pre-layer Local Chicken

The effects of dietary high levels of heat treated locally produced flaxseeds on body weight gain, and immune response were evaluated using local Saudi chicken during the pre-laying period (17-23 wk). Diets were formulated included locally produced heat treated flaxseed roasted at 60 ̊C for 5 minutes to have 5 dietary levels 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 % of flaxseed. Each diet was fed to 50 experimental birds randomly assigned in 5 replicates from 17 to 23 wk of age. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on body weight, or delayed hypersensitivity response to bovine serum albumin (BSA). The effect of flaxseeds level on body weight gain at the end of the experimental period was significant (P<0.05), especially when effect of the bird sex was concerned. Antibody production against Sheep red blood cells (SRBC) at 3d post injection was significantly (P≤ 0.05) affected by 40% level flaxseed diet. Late antibody production at 10d post injection recorded significantly lower antibody titer (P≤ 0.05) against SRBC of the birds fed 10% heat treated flaxseed when compared to the control group. Correlation coefficient between body weight and antibody response to SRBC showed a general negative trend of correlation allover experimental period with significant values (P≤ 0.05) at some of the experimental measuring points. It is concluded that dietary high levels of heat treated locally produced flaxseeds has a limited pronounced effect on antibody response against SRBC and weight gain on local Saudi chicken at the prelaying period.