This study aimed to assess the biochemical parameters of household chickens at crop and blood levels and measure the body weight. For this purpose, 350 Deshi (local) and 27 Fayoumi day old chicks were reared in 2 separate brooders within a house for 15 days. Body weight, serum total protein and calcium levels of these chicks were evaluated on day 0 and 15. After control house trial, birds were distributed among the selected households. Again, body weights and certain biochemical parameters were assessed from randomly selected birds at 60, 120 and 180 days of age. Fayoumi birds gained higher weight (P<0.001) than at control trial, whereas Deshi birds attained better weight (P<0.001) at household. Crop contents were dominated by carbohydrate. The level of crude proteins and calcium in crop contents increased along with age regardless of bird types. The average phosphorous in the crop contents was 0.3% (60 days), 2.6% (120) and 0.7% (180) regardless of bird types. Both serum total protein (P<0.05) and calcium (P<0.05) were significantly difference in between bird types at control house study. In conclusion, Deshi birds attained higher weight at household. The crude protein was below standard. Calcium and Phosphorous levels in the crop contents varied with ages, regardless of bird types. \ua9 2012 PVJ

A.H. Shaikat

A.K.M. Saifuddin

A.S.M.L. Ahasan

H.M. Tun

M. Alauddin

M.A. Hoque

M.B. Hossain

M.M. Hassan

M.R. Alam

N.C. Debnath

S. Sultana

S.A. Khan

S.K.M.A. Islam

AIR Universita degli studi di Milano

575 
 
Pakistan Veterinary Journal 
ISSN: 0253-8318 (PRINT), 2074-7764 (ONLINE) 
Accessible at: www.pvj.com.pk  
 
 
Biochemical Analysis on Blood and Crop Contents of Household Chickens Along With Their 
Production and Health Status in Bangladesh 
 
S. K. M. A. Islam, M. Alauddin1, M. M. Hassan, S. A. Khan, M. R. Alam, M. B. Hossain, A. S. M. L. Ahasan, A. K. M. 
Saifuddin, S. Sultana, H. M. Tun2, A. H. Shaikat, N. C. Debnath and M. A. Hoque* 
 
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Khulshi, Chittagong, 
Bangladesh-4202; 1Faculty of Biological Science, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh-4243; 2School of 
Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China 
*Corresponding author: md.hoque@my.jcu.edu.au 
 
 
A R T I C L E  H I S T O R Y  
 
  
A B S T R A C T  
 
Received: 
Revised: 
Accepted: 
December 23, 2011 
March 21, 2012 
April 23, 2012 
 This study aimed to assess the biochemical parameters of household chickens at 
crop and blood levels and measure the body weight. For this purpose, 350 Deshi 
(local) and 27 Fayoumi day old chicks were reared in 2 separate brooders within a 
house for 15 days. Body weight, serum total protein and calcium levels of these 
chicks were evaluated on day 0 and 15. After control house trial, birds were 
distributed among the selected households. Again, body weights and certain 
biochemical parameters were assessed from randomly selected birds at 60, 120 and 
180 days of age. Fayoumi birds gained higher weight (P<0.001) than at control trial, 
whereas Deshi birds attained better weight (P<0.001) at household. Crop contents 
were dominated by carbohydrate. The level of crude proteins and calcium in crop 
contents increased along with age regardless of bird types. The average 
phosphorous in the crop contents was 0.3% (60 days), 2.6% (120) and 0.7% (180) 
regardless of bird types. Both serum total protein (P<0.05) and calcium (P<0.05) 
were significantly difference in between bird types at control house study. In 
conclusion, Deshi birds attained higher weight at household. The crude protein was 
below standard. Calcium and Phosphorous levels in the crop contents varied with 
ages, regardless of bird types. 
 
©2012 PVJ. All rights reserved 
Key words:  
Bangladesh 
Deshi (Local) 
Fayoumi chicken 
Nutrients 
Production 
 
 
 
 
To Cite This Article: Islam SKMA, M Alauddin, MM Hassan, SA Khan, MR Alam, MB Hossain, ASML Ahasan, 
AKM Saifuddin, S Sultana, HM Tun, AH Shaikat, NC Debnath and MA Hoque, 2012. Biochemical analysis on blood 
and crop contents of household chickens along with their production and health status in Bangladesh. Pak Vet J, 
32(4): 575-578. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
Chicken is an important species for human 
consumption as protein and also plays a major role in 
poverty alleviation ensuring food security and generating 
family income at households within substandard 
management facilities (Mack et al., 2005; Hosseinzadeh et 
al., 2010). Household poultry production system in many 
developing counties is mainly based on the scavenging 
indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus). Household 
poultry have no/minimal health control program; 
may/may not have shelters and scavenging feed resource 
base in order to fulfill their nutritional requirements. 
However, in Bangladesh, the household poultry is still a 
vital source of eggs and meat production though the rapid 
growth of commercial poultry enterprise has occupied 
significant spaces in the last decade (Islam and Jabbar, 
2005). Household chickens are fed on kitchen waste and 
crop residues (Momoh et al., 2010) with minimum home-
made feed supplementation and allowed to scavenge 
around the homestead for forging insects and earth 
worms, contributing around 60-70% of their feed 
requirements (Rahman et al., 1997). Household chickens 
yielded more eggs during crop harvesting periods 
(Mwalusanya et al., 2002). The major problems of 
household poultry production include unavailability of 
breeds, low cost quality feedstuffs, substandard farm 
management systems and un-access to credit and markets 
(Hoque et al., 2011). 
Proper brooding and nutritional back up in early age 
of chicks could help in achieving better production. 
Therefore, a 15 days long control house study was 
conducted providing commercial balance feed and other 
management facilities to the trial birds. In many 
RESEARCH ARTICLE 
Pak Vet J, 2012, 32(4): 575-578. 
 
576 
developing countries household poultry is reared as an 
integral part of the livestock production systems and 
obtain most of their required feed ingredients from the 
environment (Sonaiya and Swan, 2004). Nutrient 
requirements for household chicken are still under 
reported though it is essential for increasing household 
poultry production. 
A number of studies have been conducted to identify 
the factors associated with the production of household 
chickens and ducks (Sewanyana, et al., 2003; Hoque et 
al., 2010). However, one of those studies has been 
focused on the nutritional status in crop and gizzard of 
dead chickens. This study was, therefore, aimed at 
exploring the nutritional status of live chicken at crop and 
biochemical composition and body weight at control and 
household rearing. 
 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
 
A total of 136 Deshi chicken eggs were purchased 
from the household farmers. However, only 32 eggs were 
hatched successfully of which 5 died after hatching. 
Therefore, 27 a-day-old chicks were used for the 
experiment. A total of 350-day-old Fayoumi chicks were 
also purchased from a government poultry farm for the 
control house study. Both types of chicks were reared for 
15 days in 2 separate brooders within a house (10'×10').  
Eskavit WS® solution, ( Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Ltd®) 
and shuzi (carbohydrate) were offered at ad libitum thrice 
daily (7 am, 12 and 5 pm, respectively) for the first 3 days 
followed by a commercial broiler starter (Kazi feed®) 
twice daily (7 am and 4 pm, respectively) for the rest of 
the rearing days. Chicks of 7-day old were vaccinated 
with the Baby Chick Ranikhet Disease Vaccine for 
Newcastle disease. 
A 165 days field study was conducted on 37 
randomly selected households at 18 East Bakolia, 
Chittagong, between March-August 2006. The total 
sampled households were again randomly divided into 2 
groups. Group 1 and 2 were formed with 33 households 
and 4 households, respectively. The uneven household 
numbers in these groups were based on availability of 
number of birds prepared in control house trial. Each 
household belonging to group 1 was supplied with 10 
Fayoumi birds, whereas individual household belonging 
to group 2 was provided with 6 Deshi birds. These 
households were monitored for 180 days to record the 
information of mortality, consumption, loss due to 
different causes, feeding and preventive measures weekly. 
Body weight was measured from all chicks at day 0 
and 15. Body weight of chicken was taken repeatedly 
during the household study at 60, 120 and 180 days. Of 
the chicks, in control house study, randomly selected 5 
Deshi and 10 Fayoumi day-old chicks were sacrificed to 
collect blood samples at day 0. Wing veins were used to 
collect blood samples from randomly selected 10 chicks 
from each bird type at day 15. In the field study, blood 
samples were taken from 10% randomly selected 
chickens/household at 60, 120 and 180 days followed for 
measurement of body weight.  
Samples obtained from the control house and field 
studies were brought to the Biochemistry Laboratory, 
Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University 
(CVASU) immediately after collection at control study 
and within 3-4 hours after collection in the field study. 
Blood samples were left at 25C for 1-2 hours followed 
by storage at 4C for overnight before serum separation. 
Serum samples were stored at -80C until the further 
testing being performed. Serum samples were subjected to 
determine serum total protein (STP), calcium (Ca) and 
phosphorus (P) using a biochemical analyzer (PLD-
951/951A/951B) according to the protocol of Randox 
Laboratories LTD, UK.  
Crop contents were collected from 5% of 
chickens/household at 60, 120 and 180 days by surgical 
operation as follows.  Individual bird was hold 
horizontally to expose the ventral part downwardly. The 
ventral part of the crop was washed and cleaned with the 
cotton soaked with 1% lugol’s iodine solution. Anesthesia 
was performed over the incised area of crop (1circular 
block) injecting 2% Lidocaine. A 1/2 incision was then 
made with the scalpel to open the crop. Crop contents 
were collected and placed in a poly bag. The incised area 
was sutured with the nylon thread after collection of 
samples. The postoperative medication was followed 
applying sulphonamide over the incised area. 
Ciprofloxacin and vitamin AD3E (Eskayef 
Pharmaceuticals Ltd) were administered thrice daily for 5 
days. A booster dose of Ranikhet Disease Vaccine was 
injected intramuscularly on day 21 and 60, respectively 
during the field study. 
The crop contents were classified grossly as 
carbohydrate, protein, mineral sources and kept at -20C 
until further analysis. The obtained crop content was sun-
dried and ground for chemical analysis. Atomic 
absorption spectrophotometric procedure was applied to 
determine Ca and P according to the manufacturer 
instructions (21 D® Spectrophotometer). The crop 
contents were analyzed to quantify crude protein (CP) 
(AOAC, 1990). 
 
Statistical analysis: The data obtained were entered into 
the MS-2003 program and then exported to STATA 11.0 
(STATA Corporation, USA) for data analysis. A 
descriptive analysis was performed. A “t” test was used to 
assess the level of significance of body weight, 
biochemical indices, between bird types. 
 
RESULTS 
 
Body weight: The mean body weight of day old Deshi and 
Fayoumi chicks were identical (P<0.39). The mean body 
weight of 15 days old chicks differed between bird types 
(P<0.001) (Table 1).The average body weight on day 60 for 
bird types varied (P<0.001). The mean body weight on day 
120 for Deshi and Fayoumi chickens differed significantly 
(P<0.001) between bird types (Table 1). 
 
Biochemical parameters of Deshi and Fayoumi day old 
chicks: The estimated average STP from the blood 
samples of Deshi was higher (42.3 gm/l) than in Fayoumi 
(35.5 gm/l) chicks (P<0.04). The estimated average Ca 
levels also differed between Deshi (54.3 mg/d) and 
Fayoumi (51.9 mg/dl) chicks in this study (P<0.019) 
(Table 2). 
Pak Vet J, 2012, 32(4): 575-578. 
 
577 
Table 1: Mean body weight of day old Fayoumi and Deshi chicks under 
the control study 
Age  
(Days) 
Deshi Fayoumi P Value 
N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) 
0 27  24.8 (23-26) 50 25.0 (24-26) <0.001 
15 22  85.7 (79-92) 100 108.0 (105-111) <0.001 
60  49  259.3 (256-262) 12 342.8 (329-356) <0.001 
120 71  525.7 (522-529) 12 812.8 (776-849) <0.001 
180 52  970.4 (629-131) 7 1025.0 (888-1162) <0.001 
 
Table 2: Biochemical parameters and crop contents of household 
chickens at different days of rearing 
Parameter Experimental Days (Mean+SD) 
60 120 180 
 Serum  
SerumTotal Protein (g/l) 49.5±6.0 53.6±8.2 55.4±9.2 
Calcium (mg/dl)  13.0± 3.10 10.0±3.0 10.1±3.1 
Phosphorus (mg/dl) Not 
evaluated 
  6.1±1.4   6.0±1.3 
Chemical of crop contents  
Crude Protein (%) 9.0±0.7 10.9±2.2 11.9±2.9 
Calcium (%) 0.4±0.1  1.7±1.3  2.5±2.1 
Phosphorus (%) 0.3±0.2  2.6±0.6 0.6±0.6 
Crude crop contents 
Carbohydrate 98.7±2.0 97.1±4.1 90.3±2.8 
Protein  1.1±1.9  0.4±1.3  7.1±1.7 
Vegetables, grit etc  0.2±0.6  2.5±4.1  2.6±1.9 
 
Supplemental feeds, biochemical parameters and crop 
contents of household chickens at different days of 
rearing:  Farmers reported chickens were provided with 
different cereal grains (Cooked rice, rice gruel and paddy) 
and their by-products (Rice polish and wheat bran) and 
animal proteins (Fish and poultry by products) as 
supplemental feeds. Gross examination of crop contents 
revealed grain (Paddy, boiled and uncooked rice and 
wheat), grain by products (Rice polish and rice husk), 
animal proteins (Insects, crab’s legs and poultry meat) 
vegetable proteins (duck weed), green forages (Green 
grass, leaves and vegetables), minerals (grid) and others 
includes (Ant, poultry feathers and poultry offal). The 
crop contents were classified grossly into 3 groups (Table 
2). On chemical evaluation percentage distribution of  CP,  
Ca and  P and biochemical parameters were shown in 
Table 2. 
 
Population loss: Initial average flock size with Deshi or 
Fayoumi chickens /household started with 9.9 (N=37) and 
ended up 3.1 (N=19). Loss of chickens due to mortality 
was the highest (average 3.2) during 60 days of rearing 
followed by 3.1 during 61-120 days. Loss due to predation 
was average 0.5 during 60 days, 3.5 during 61-120 days 
and 0.5 during 121-180 days. Untimely slaughtering was 
0.4 and 0.5 chickens during 60 days and 121-180 days, 
respectively.  
 
DISCUSSION 
 
Fayoumi chicks attained higher body weight as 
compared to Deshi chicks under the control study which 
could be due to adaptability of Fayoumi chicken in 
intensive rearing. However, Deshi chickens achieved 
better body weight than Fayoumi irrespective of age under 
the household study which coincide to the previous 
findings (Gunaratne et al., 1993). This result could be due 
to adaptability of Deshi chicken with a suitable genetic 
back up (Malago and Baitilwake, 2009) and better 
utilization of nutrients. 
The STP of Deshi and Fayoumi birds in the 
household study is higher as compared to the findings of 
(Mutayoba et al.,  2011). Among the biochemical indices 
Ca content in 60 days aged chicken’s blood sera was 
higher than the older chicks. The below standard level of 
serum Ca in this study could be due to insufficient 
absorption from the intestine. 
The results of crop contents in this study represent the 
availability of scavenging feed around the homestead 
(Table 2). Scavenging feed resources depend upon the 
availability of feeds around the homestead (Roberts, 
1999). During scavenging period the birds usually 
scavenge on insects, earthworm, residual grain etc. 
 Gross analysis of crop ingredients showed that 
carbohydrate content decreased when age of chickens 
increased, whereas protein content increased along the 
increasing age of chickens. However, the level of protein 
is not the optimum level as required. Although CP is 
increased with the age of chicks, the level of CP is not 
optimum as required for growth of chicks at the early age. 
This result indicates that protein rich supplementary feed 
is necessary in growing period of chicken. The level of CP 
and Ca in crop contents increased with the increase of 
chicken age in this study. A similar CP level was reported 
in crop contents previously (Roberts, 1997). The Ca 
(0.4%) and P (0.3%), respectively were previously 
estimated in the crop contents which are similar to our 
estimated values of Ca and P. Bird  loss due to different 
causes in this study corresponds to earlier studies (Biswas 
et al., 2008; Hoque et al., 2011). 
 
Acknowledgement: This study was funded by the 
DANIDA through the Smallholder Livestock 
Development Project 2. We are grateful to the authority 
and staff of CVASU, Bangladesh Agriculture Research 
Institute, Sylhet Agricultural University for their supports. 
Special thanks to the farmers’ of the Bakolia field study 
area. 
 
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Biochemical analysis on blood and crop contents of household chickens along with their production and health status in Bangladesh

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Biochemical analysis on blood and crop contents of household chickens along with their production and health status in Bangladesh

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