Impact of Nanoclay in Feed And Aluminium Sulphate in Litter on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemistry, and Litter Chemistry of Nigerian Noiler Cockerel Chicks

The study aimed to assess the impact of nanoclay in the feed and aluminium sulphate in the litter on the growth performance, serum biochemistry, and litter chemistry of Nigerian noiler cockerel chickens. A total of 360 Nigerian Noiler cockerels, aged 8 weeks and weighing between 1050-1067g, were assigned to six treatment groups in a 3×2 factorial arrangement in completely randomised design (CRD), six replications of 10 birds each. The treatments administered comprised: T1: 0 g NaB/kg diet + 0 g alum/3 kg litter, T2: 15 g NaB/kg diet + 0 g alum/3 kg litter, T3: 30 g NaB/kg diet + 0 g alum/3 kg litter, T4: 0 g NaB/kg diet + 400 g alum/3 kg litter, T5: 15 g NaB/kg diet + 400 g alum/3 kg litter, T6: 30 g NaB/kg diet + 400 g alum/3 kg litter. The results indicated that birds provided with sodium bentonite and housed on litter treated with aluminium sulphate exhibited superior weight increase, lower feed conversion ratios, and reduced feed costs per kilogramme of gain compared to the control group. Birds on T5 had the greatest feed intake value of 8258.52 g (p < 0.05), comparable to those on T4. The weight gain of 2201.91 g seen in birds on T5 was statistically equivalent (p > 0.05) to the 2021.33 g reported in T6, while both values were the highest (p < 0.05) among the treatments. The treated groups exhibited reduced feed conversion ratios (FCR) and feed costs per kilogramme of growth relative to the control group's values of 4.64 and 1273.18 (₦) for both parameters. Serum biochemical indices (protein, albumin, globulin and BUN) showed greater improvement in the treated groups relative to the control. The reported litter ammonia gas value of 29.00 ppm was the highest among the treatments. The study concluded that the inclusion of sodium bentonite in the meal and litter treated with aluminium sulphate enhanced litter quality without adversely affecting the growth performance and serum biochemical markers of the birds.