Weight Gain and Haematolgical Profile of Broiler Chicks Fed a Maize-Soyabean Diet Supplemented with Different Levels of Methionine, Sodium Sulphate and Sodium Sulphite

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of substituting synthetic methionine with sodium sulphate and sodium sulphite in maize-soyabean diets fed to broiler chicks on weight and haematological profile. Two hundred and forty (240) unsexed Hubbard day old broiler chicks were fed iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous maize-soyabean diets (3,000 cal/kg and 22% crude protein) for four weeks. There were eight treatment groups, T1-T8, each replicated three times. T1 had no methionine, T2 had 3% methionine, T3 had 3% sodium sulphate, T4 had 3% sodium sulphite, T5 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphate, T6 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphate 17 had 1.5% methionine and 1.5% sodium sulphite while T8 had 1.5% methionine and 1% sodium sulphite. Chicks in T6 had the highest average weekly weight gain of 106.58 g while birds in T8 had the lowest average weekly weight gain (79.94 g). The average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2 and T5 did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from one another. Likewise the average weekly weight gain of birds in T1, T2, T3 T4 and T5 did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from one another. The average weekly weight gain of chicks in 17 and T8 which had the lowest weight gains, also did not differ significantly (p>0.05). All haematological parameters evaluated fell within safe precincts as stipulated in literature. Treatment 6 is therefore recommended for broiler starter rations alongside T2 and T5 because they did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from one another.