Effect of supplemental cyanocobalamin on the growth performance and hematological indicators of the white pekin ducks from hatch to day 21

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the requirement of cyanocobalamin of male Pekin ducks from hatch to 21 days of age. A total of three-hundred-eighty-four, one-day-old meat-type male Pekin ducks were randomly allocated to six treatments, i.e., dietary cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) concentrations of 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 1.00 mg/kg, respectively in their feed. Each treatment had eight replicated pens with eight ducks for each pen. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The experiment was conducted for 21 days. Different growth parameters including average daily weight gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and hematological indicators were evaluated because, on the basis of hematological indicators, the health and nutritional status of an animal can be accessed. It is observed that supplemental cyanocobalamin has no significant effect on ADG, ADFI, and FCR but it improves hematological parameters such as white blood cells, red blood cells, and its indices and platelet counts compared to the control group (p < 0.05). On the basis of growth performance and hematological indicators it is concluded that 0.02 mg cyanocobalamin/kg of feed is the dietary requirement of male Pekin ducks from hatch to day 21 of age.