Volume 14, Issue 1: 2024 - Article 129

Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of dietary red palm oil (RPO) supplementation on the body weights, packed cell volume and serum lipid profile of broilers chicks. Ninety-day old chicks were used for the study. They were acclimatized for one week and randomly assigned to three groups (A, B and C) of thirty birds each, with three replicates of ten birds in each group. The diets of Group A and B chicks were supplemented with 4% and 2% RPO, respectively, while that of Group C was not supplemented (Unsupplemented Control). The chicks were fed their group specific diets for five weeks. The birds were weighed at the beginning of the study and weekly for the five weeks. At the fourth week, blood samples were collected and packed cell volume (PCV) was determined. At week five, blood samples were also collected for both PCV and serum lipid profile determination. Results showed that there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the groups in their body weights, PCV and low density lipoproteins, but the serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) of the Groups A chicks fed diet supplemented with 4% RPO was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of the unsupplemented control, while only the serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels of the Group B chicks (fed diet supplemented with 2% RPO) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of the unsupplemented control. It was concluded that supplementation of the diet of broiler chicks with RPO, as used in the study, led to no significant effects on their body weights, PCV and serum LDL levels, but led to significantly higher serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and VLDL, especially at 4% level of dietary supplementation.

Keywords: Red palm oil; Dietary supplementation; Broiler chicks; Body weights; Packed cell volume; Serum Lipid Profile.

How to cite this article:
Ugwu PC, Aronu CJ, Omeke JN, Emejuo NT, Nwachukwu I and Nnadi AP (2024). Evaluation of the effects of dietary red palm oil
supplementation on the body weights, packed cell volume and serum lipid profile of broilers chicks. Journal of Veterinary and
Applied Sciences, 14(1): 367 – 375.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     chinasa.ugwu@unn.edu.ng      Phone: +2348066533537

Evaluation of the effects of dietary red palm oil supplementation on the body weights, packed cell volume and serum lipid profile of broilers chicks
Patience C. Ugwu ¹ *, Chinwe J. Aronu ¹, Jacinta N. Omeke ², Nnenna T. Emejuo ², Ikechukwu Nwachukwu ¹ and Ajanwachukwu P. Nnadi ^1
1 Department of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
² Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

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