Evaluating the impact of honey inclusion in drinking water on the semen quality, immunological response, and haematology of naked neck cocks

Abstract

Honey is natural nectar that honey bees gather from a variety of flowers. Honey is made up of many nutrients that are essential for the growth and development of various tissues and organs in all kinds of living organisms. The goal of the current study was to determine whether adding honey to diets of naked neck cocks would have a good impact on their semen quality, haematological profile, and immune system. A total of 90 naked neck cocks that were 75 weeks old were gathered for this purpose in March and April 2021 from the University of Agriculture Birds Stock. The birds were divided into 3 equal treatment groups: control, A and B, which each received a dose of 5 and 10 g of honey in 1 litre of water (w/v), respectively. The control group received no treatment. Five weeks of treatment were given, with one week serving as an adaptation period. One-way analysis of variance was applied to the recorded data for statistical analysis. The addition of honey to drinking water at a dose of 10 g (w/v) increased (p<0.05) sperm motility, followed by a dose of 5 g (w/v) and the control group, but the mean values of non-motile sperms were lowest (p<0.05) at a dose of 10 g (w/v), followed by a dose of 5 g (w/v), and the control group. However, there were no significant differences in semen volume, pH, or concentration across the treatment groups. The haematological parameters, such as haemoglobin, total leukocyte count, red blood cells, and packed cell volume, were not significantly affected by the addition of honey to the drinking water, but the ND titer of naked neck cocks treated with 10 g (w/v) honey was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the cocks in the 5 g (w/v) and control group. In conclusion, the addition of honey to drinking water at a dose of 10 g (w/v) may have positive effects on sperm motility and antibody titer against Newcastle disease in aged naked neck cocks. Furthermore, these results also suggest that the addition of honey to drinking water at a dose of 10 g (w/v) may rejuvenate naked neck cocks even at old age (75 week age).