Beneficial Effects of Cashew Oilcake (<i>Anacardium occidentale</i>) on Haematological Parameters in Gallus Broilers

Local food products are used in poultry feed in Côte d'Ivoire. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of cashew oilcake on haematological parameters in broilers. Using standard broiler feeds, experimental start-up, growth and finishing rations were formulated by substituting soybean meal for cashew meal at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. For 6 weeks, 5 batches (F0, F25, F50, F75 and F100) of 5-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were successively fed 03 experimental feed rations. On the 45th day of feeding, blood samples were taken from the fasting chickens, followed by haematological analyses. The results showed that the white blood cell count of broilers in batch F50 (11.38.103/µL) was lower than the normal value (12-30.103/µL). In addition, the haematocrit levels of birds in batches F50 (20.72%) and F25 (23.82%) were relatively low compared with the normal value (27-55%), which would indicate a possible microcytic anaemia in these birds. The mean corpuscular volume of the birds fed the cashew meal-based ration was lower, particularly that of batch F100 (118.5 mm3) and F75 (122.26 mm3) compared with the control batch (129.54 mm3). The mean corpuscular volume of broilers fed cashew meal rations was within the normal range (90-140 mm3), ruling out anaemia in these birds. Cashew oilcake has nutritional effects comparable to those of soybean oilcake in broilers, and could therefore be a substitute for soybean oilcake in poultry feed in Côte d'Ivoire.