HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE DOMESTIC PIGEON (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA) IN NSUKKA AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

This study evaluated the haematological profile of the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica). Seventy five pigeons were acquired for the study from three locations (Ibagwa, Orba and Enugu-Ezike) where pigeons are raised in Nsukka agro-ecological zone, Enugu State, Nigeria, but after two weeks of acclimatization 64 of the pigeons (34 females and 30 males) that were considered apparently healthy were used for the study. One ml of blood was collected from each pigeon by jugular venipuncture for evaluation of the haematological parameters. The haematological characteristics of the pigeons were determined using standard methods. The overall mean values obtained for the haematological parameters were as follows: packed cell volume (PCV) – 44.54 ± 4.73%; haemoglobin concentration (Hb) – 12.89 ± 1.55 g/dl; red blood cell (RBC) count – 3.34 ± 0.38 (10 6 /ul); mean corpuscular volume (MCV) – 133.86 ± 19.37 fl; mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) – 38.67 ± 5.34 pg; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) – 28.97 ± 2.59 g/dl; leukocyte counts (10 3 /ul): total leukocyte – 23.36 ± 7.06; lymphocyte – 10.66 ± 3.49, heterophil – 7.80 ± 2.89, monocyte count – 2.32  ± 0.93, eosinophil count – 2.25 ± 0.89, and basophil – 0.24 ± 0.30. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) between the males and females in all the haematological parameters evaluated and the body weights. There were however significant variations (p<0.05) in the PCV, absolute heterophil, monocyte and basophil counts, percentage lymphocyte, eosinophil and basophil counts of the pigeons from the three locations.