Blood profile of West African dwarf bucks fed Vigna unguiculata L. (cowpea) husk and Gmelina arborea Roxb as basal diet

摘要

The health implication of Vigna unguiculata L. husk on 20 West African dwarf (WAD) bucks of weights averaging 9.64 kg was investigated in a completely randomized design. Haemalo-biochemical profile of the bucks was evaluated in an 84-day study. Four dietary treatments were formulated and compounded to contain 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% of cowpea husk and these were designated Tl, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Results showed that the packed cell volume (PCV) which was between 29.80 - 34.80% showed significant differences (P0.05) among the treatments. The study demonstrates that inclusion of 75% of cowpea husk in the diets of the buck did not compromise the healthof the animals.