Haematological studies on frizzled and naked neck genotypes of Nigerian native chickens.
Variation in haematological parameters of Nigerian native chickens was studied using 60 clinically normal frizzle-feathered, naked-neck, and normal-feathered native chickens. These included red blood cell count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, serum glucose, urea, cholesterol, albumin, globulin and creatinine. Normal-feathered birds had higher (p<0.05) mean values compared to frizzled and native neck genotypes except for albumin, red blood and white blood cells, and mean cell haemoglobin concentration. Males generally had higher mean values than their female counterparts across all genotypes. Correlation coefficients among the parameters were significant (p<0.001) with r values ranging from 0.26 between red blood cell and mean corpuscular haemoglobin to 0.92 between red blood cell and cholesterol. Sufficient genetic variation therefore exists for haematological parameters among Nigerian native chickens that may represent indicator traits for further study. However, the application of molecular tools will provide better understanding and application of these differences.
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. so_peters@yahoo.com
Sunday Olusola
SO
Peters
Hollinshead Holly
HH
Gunn
Ikhide Godwin
IG
Imumorin
Brilliant Ogagaoghene
BO
Agaviezor
Christian Obiora Ndubuisi
CO
Ikeobi
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D005241:Feathers / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria
D006454:Hemoglobins