Hematological Investigations on Egg-Type Chickens Fed Cassava (Mannihot esculenta Cranz) Root Meal Based Layer Diet Supplemented with Farmers Solution Provider: Multiple Dropping (FSPMD) In Nsukka, South-Eastern Nigeria

A 60-week study examined the impact of a dietary egg-enhancing supplement (FSPMD) on the hematological parameters of 300 Gold Neslink chickens in the humid tropical region of Nsukka, eastern Nigeria. The supplement was added to cassava root meal (CRM) at graded levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) in replacement of maize. Ten experimental diets were formulated, with five fortified with FSPMD and five without. Thirty birds per treatment were randomly assigned to ten dietary treatments (T1-T10), with three replicates in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement in a Completely Randomized Design. The results showed that the hematological parameters did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.05) from conventional reference ranges, indicating that the supplement had no adverse effects on the birds' blood profiles.