ADEDIRAN Inioluwa Adegbenga2025-12-042025-12-042023-11-25https://ir.funaab.edu.ng/handle/123456789/317DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH COLLEGE OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTAABSTRACT This research investigated the influence of dietary supplementation of Vitamin A (Retinol) on growth performance, Haematology and oxidative stress biomakers of pregnant West African dwarf ewes. A total of eighteen (18) matured ewes (14 -16kg) were used for the experiment. The ewes were assigned randomly to three (3) treatment groups consisting of six (6) replicates. The animals were allotted to three (3) experimental diets: Treatment 1 (control) Basal diet and without Vitamin A. Treatment 2 diet supplemented with 140,000IU vit A per Kg; and Treatment 3 for diet supplemented with 280,000IU vitamin A per Kg in a completely randomized design (CRD). Data were collected for growth performance characteristics, haematological and serum biochemical indices and oxidative stress parameters were analyzed using One Way Analysis of Variance while Tukey's test was used to separate significantly different means. Results indicated that all parameters on the growth performance measured were not significantly (p>0.05) influenced by thelevels of vitamin A supplementation. Haematological and serum parameters at the onset of the experiment were statistically (p>0.05) different except for haemoglobin, white blood cell and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed across the treatments at the final phase for most of the blood parameters assessed, except for Eosinophils, Basophils, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin while the control group and groups fed 280,000IU vitamin A similarly elevated the packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell and lymphocytes when compared to those offered 140,000IU. It was observed that serum indices measured at the final phase were not significantly (p>0.05)affected except cholesterol. Blood cholesterol reduced as the inclusion level of Vitamin A Increased with ewes in the control group (0IU) having the highest (95.39mg/dl) cholesterol while those in group fed diet containing 280,000IU of Vitamin A had the least (34.10mg/dl). The blood minerals measured were significantly (p<0.05) affected Fe and Ca. Malondialdehyde, Glutathione and Glutathione peroxidase were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by dry season dietary supplementation of vitamin A. Ewes on diet containing 280,000IU had the highest value (12.13µmol/L) while those fed diet containing 140,000IU had the leastmalondialdehyde value (7.83µmol/L). Highest Glutathione peroxidase value of 11.03U/gHb was observed in ewes on the control diet while those fed diet containing 280,000IU vitamin A had the least value (8.68U/gHb). This study, therefore concluded that vitamin Asupplementation reduced blood cholesterol, malondialdehyde level and increased Zn and Mg content in West African Dwarf ewes and vitamin A supplementation can be recommended to maintain normal growth performance, health and oxidative stability.enThesis