American Journal of Biology and Life Sciences 2017; 5(5): 34-38 http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ajbls ISSN: 2381-3784 (Print); ISSN: 2381-3792 (Online) Influence of Age and Strain on Haematological and Blood Biochemical Indices in Broiler Chickens Reared in Derived Savanna Environment of Nigeria Amao Shola Rasheed * , Oyewumi Samuel Olusegun Department of Agricultural Education (Animal Sci. Division; Animal Breeding & Genetics Unit), School of Vocational and Technical Education, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Isokun Campus, Oyo, Nigeria Email address sholaamao@gmail.com (A. S. Rasheed), sholaamao@eacoed.edu.ng (A. S. Rasheed) * Corresponding author To cite this article Amao Shola Rasheed, Oyewumi Samuel Olusegun. Influence of Age and Strain on Haematological and Blood Biochemical Indices in Broiler Chickens Reared in Derived Savanna Environment of Nigeria. American Journal of Biology and Life Sciences. Vol. 5, No. 5, 2017, pp. 34-38. Received: March 12, 2017; Accepted: April 27, 2017; Published: August 14, 2017 Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of age and strain on haemotological and blood biochemical indices in broiler chickens reared in derived savanna zone of Nigeria. Three hundred broiler chickens of consisting hundred Ross (R), one hundred Anak (A) and one hundred Marshall (M); haematological and blood serum biochemical indices were then determined at 14, 28, 42 and 56 days for the three strains. The birds were reared for a period of 56days and data were obtained on the blood indices and analysed for fixed effect of ages and strain in a completely randomized design (CRD). Haemotological parameters include red blood cell (RBC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (M CV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH). Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Heterophils (H), Lymphocyte (L), Monocytes (M), Eosinophils (EO) and Basophils (B). However the serum biochemical indices include the total protein (TP), Serum Albumin (SA), Serum Globulin (SG), Uric Acid (UA), Serum Glucose (SGL) and Serum Cholestrol (SC). The erythrocytic values shows significant (P < 0.05) different as a function of age. RBC count, PCV and Hb were highest for Anak strain for all ages considered. MCV values favoured the Marshall birds, with decrease values as birds attain ages. WBC, EO and B values were highest for Anak strain while H and L favoured the Ross birds. There were no significant (P > 0.05) different for Monocytes at all ages considered. Serum biochemical components showed significant (P < 0.05) differences at all ages. Keywords Broilers, Age, Strain, Haematology, Blood Biochemical, Derived Savanna 1. Introduction Poultry population in Nigeria is estimated to consist of about 124 million chickens, 45 million guinea fowl and one million of each Turkeys, ducks (Lamrode, 1996) and pigeons (Ibrahim and Abdu, 1992). Poultry meat production particularly chicken meat has been very speedy over the last decades (Sola- Ojo and Ayorinde, 2009). Jaturashita, (2004) stated that demand for poultry meat is higher because of its superiority in health aspects when compared to red meat, comparably low contents of fat and cholesterol the relatively low price, the typical convenient portions and the lack of religious restriction. Large scale commercial poultry production was observed (Amao, 2009) as one quick and effective way of correcting the problem of animal protein intake deficiency while broiler birds are usually the most universal and important of all poultry as producers of meat for human consumption (Oluremi et al., 2009). Investigations of normal blood indices of chickens are very much essential in diagnosing the various pathological and metabolic disorders. Blood can be used as diagnostic tools in order to assess the health status of individual or a flock. Determination of blood values of chicken are influenced by