Haematological Parameters of Broiler Chicks Fed Aspergillus niger - Fermented Terminalia catappa Seed Meal-Based Diet

The effect of Aspergillus niger-fermented Terminalia catappa seed meal-based diet on the haematological parameters of broiler chicks was studied. T. catappa seed meal was inoculated with A. niger spore suspension and incubated at room temperature for 3 weeks. Forty-five, day-old broiler chicks with an initial average weight of 30.25 ± 2.40 g were divided into three groups of fifteen animals each. The first group was placed on soybean-based (control) diet; the second group on raw (unfermented) T. catappa seed meal-based diet; and the third on A. niger fermented T. catappa seed meal-based diet for seven (7) weeks. Haematological parameters like Hb, RBC, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC and platelets were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the blood of the broilers fed the raw T. catappa seed meal-based diet. However, there was significant (p<0.05) increase in these parameters in the blood of the birds fed A. niger fermented T. catappa seed meal-based diet. The increase in the latter however, was significantly lower (p<0.05) than for those on the control diet. We conclude that feeding A. niger-fermented T. catappa seed meal to broilers is safe and it alleviates the toxic effect of the raw T. catappa seed on the haematological parameters of broilers.