COMPARATIVE ANALYSISBETWEEN SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND FEATHER COLOUR IN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the relationship between plumage colour and serum biochemical parameters in indigenous chickens. A total of 10 chickens comprising 5 black and 5 white plumaged birds were sampled, and blood was collected for biochemical analysis. Parameters measured included cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, creatinine, and urea. Independent t-tests revealed that white-plumaged chickens had significantly higher cholesterol (111.11 ± 10.35 mg/dL) and creatinine (1.28 ± 0.04 mg/dL) compared with black-plumaged chickens (98.50 ± 13.10 mg/dL and 0.99 ± 0.05 mg/dL, respectively; p < .05). In contrast, black-plumaged chickens exhibited higher ALT (61.22 ± 4.01 IU/L) and glucose (253.58 ± 16.68 mg/dL) relative to white-plumaged birds (55.75 ± 3.75 IU/L and 240.01 ± 19.88 mg/dL, respectively; p < .05). No significant differences were observed in AST, total protein, albumin, globulin, or urea (p > .05). These findings suggest that plumage colour is associated with distinct biochemical variations, particularly in lipid metabolism, hepatic enzyme activity, and renal indices. The results highlight the potential role of feather pigmentation as a phenotypic marker of physiological status in indigenous chickens, although further genetic and longitudinal studies are recommended to validate these associations.