Six hundred and sixty day old broiler chicks of mixed sex were divided into ten groups having three replications of twenty-two chicks in each replicate and were offered either tap water (control) or three types (predominant in bicarbonate, chloride and sulphate salts) of simulated saline water with three viz. 2000, 4000, and 6000 uS/cm electrical conductivity (EC) for 8 weeks. Hematological parameters including packed cell volume, hemoglobin, erythrocyte, leucocytes and differential leucocytes counts were determined at 6 to 8 weeks of age. No significant differences were observed in packed cell volume, hemoglobin, total erythrocyte and leucocytes count at any age. In differential leucocytes count, heterophils and lymphocytes were observed significantly (P<0.05) higher and lower, respectively in chloride dominated water at 6000 EC, and at 4000 and 6000 EC in sulphate dominated water as compared to control and bicarbonate dominated water, however, the monocyte and eosinophils plus basophils counts were found comparable in all the groups.
Saline water, haematology, broiler
