EFFECTS OF VARYING DOSAGE OF IMMOCOX BRAND OF COCCIDIAL VACCINE ON THE HEAMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF CHICKENS

F.T. Akande ¹, B.J. Mufwa² and Antyev. M².

¹Department of Animal Health College of Agriculture, Jalingo

²Department of Animal Production College of Agriculture, Jalingo, Taraba State

E-mail: mufwa @ yahoo.com.

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of Dosage administration of Immucox^(R) Vaccine on the Heamatology of Chickens. Three dosage regimes including control representing 50% (GPA), 100% (GPB), 250% (GPC) and 0% (GPD) were investigated on 204 chicken. 50 chickens allotted to each group and 4 were slaughtered before the commencement of the experiment (pre vaccination) to ascertain the heamatological profile before the commencement of the experiment, with the view to ascertaining the feature and causes of reported field problems associated with field application of anti-coccidial vaccines. The results of the heamatological findings were rather inconsistence; the PCV suggested that the effect of tissue damage and fluid loss was mildest in group C; superior in A and B group. There were no differences in the HB values generally except at day 6 piv. Lymphocytes counts fluctuated in all the groups except during the period 4 to 9 days piv when the count in group A and B were relatively stable. The results here showed that the vaccine was protective to varying degrees against heamatological challenges and thereby underscores the values of coccidial vaccines. Moreover, a modified dosage regime as in group C provided supererior protection to the standard (proprietary) dosage without any adverse effects on the haematological indices.

Keyword: Immocox Vaccine, Chicken and Heamatology