Variation in haematological parameters of Nigerian native chickens was studied using 60 clinically normal frizzle-feathered, naked-neck, and normal-feathered native chickens. These included red blood cell count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, serum glucose, urea, cholesterol, albumin, globulin and creatinine. Normal-feathered birds had higher (p<0.05) mean values compared to frizzled and native neck genotypes except for albumin, red blood and white blood cells, and mean cell haemoglobin concentration. Males generally had higher mean values than their female counterparts across all genotypes. Correlation coefficients among the parameters were significant (p<0.001) with r values ranging from 0.26 between red blood cell and mean corpuscular haemoglobin to 0.92 between red blood cell and cholesterol. Sufficient genetic variation therefore exists for haematological parameters among Nigerian native chickens that may represent indicator traits for further study. However, the application of molecular tools will provide better understanding and application of these differences.

The SAAs are limiting in the major poultry feed ingredients, ranking first and fifth in soya bean meal and maize, respectively. Feed ingredients rich in protein, in particular and other nutrients, enhance Energy supply and protein accretion. Modern commercial broilers have reduced maintenance needs and high amino acid requirements, and are more responsive to protein (amino acids) than energy. Cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid belonging to the SAAs. It plays essential roles in protein synthesis, structure and function, causing growth depressing effects in broiler chicks when there is methionine:cysteine imbalance. Genetically predetermined amino acid sequences in proteins are essential for production of adequate quantities of meat, milk and eggs. Therefore, ideal amino acid ratios which conform to the requirements of broilers should be utilized. In nutrition, amino acids are equivalent to proteins, hence the shift in focus from proteins to individual amino acids, expressed as ideal ratios to lysine. The SAAs are practically relevant and have critical nutritional roles in animal nutrition with over 90% production being used to fortify animal (particularly poultry) diets. A balance in the methionine:cysteine ratio is necessary to ensure efficient utilization of the SAAs for proper growth and development in broiler poultry.