Evaluation of the Nutritive Value of Mixture of Fermented Bovine Blood and Rumen Digesta for Broiler Finisher

A 35-day feeding trials involving three hundred (300) 5 week old broilers was carried out in a completely randomized design to evaluate the performance, organ characteristics, nutrient utilization and economic analysis of broiler finishers fed diets containing a mixture of fermented dried bovine blood and rumen digesta (FBBRD) at dietary levels of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% respectively. At the end of the feeding trials, two birds were randomly selected from each treatment and transferred to a metabolism cage for faecal collection and determination of nutrient digestibility. Another set of five (5) birds were randomly selected from each treatment for carcass and organ weight evaluation. Birds on the test material performed generally better in all the parameters measured than the control group. There were no significant (P<0.05) difference among the groups in relative organ weight. The groups on the test materials (FBBRD) also recorded better nutrient nutrient utilization values than the control group. The results suggest that up to 20% inclusion level of FBBRD meal could be tolerated by broiler finisher without any adverse effects on performance. Keywords: Fermented Bovine Blood and Rumen Digesta, Performance, Broiler Finisher

Evaluation of Processed Velvet Bean (Mucuna Pruriens) as a Feed Ingredient in Starter Diets for Broiler Chickens

Raw Mucuna pruriens seed meal contains 30-32% crude protein, but also contains toxic substances, which limit its use as a feed ingredient for non-ruminant animals. Results on the use of M. pruriens seed in poultry nutrition have shown that heat treatment alone could only improve the nutritive value of Mucuna bean to the extent of 10% dietary level for broilers. A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing cracked, soaked and cooked velvet bean seed meal. The seeds were cracked, soaked in water and cooked before drying and milling. The processed meal contained 28.64% crude protein, 6.75% crude fibre, 6.00% ether extract and 2.20% ash. The cracked, soaked and cooked meal (CSCM) was included in a broiler chicken starter diet at 0,20,25 and 30% respectively. None of the three dietary levels of the seed meal significantly (P>0.05) affected the performance of the birds in terms of feed intake and growth rate. Birds fed 30% CSCM had the lowest growth rate and grew to 83.3% of the control. At 30% dietary level, the feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) decreased relative to the control. We conclude that cracking Mucuna seed prior to soaking in water and cooking, partially destroys its growth inhibiting factor(s), allowing successful use of up to 25% CSCM in broiler starter rations. Higher levels of CSCM reduced broiler performance although the results were much better than those of processed Mucuna bean in literature

Combinations of palm kernel cake, yam peels and plantain peels as alternative energy source in finisher broiler diets.

Combinations of palm kernel cake (PKC), yam peels (YP) and plantain peels (PP) were evaluated as alternative energy source in finisher broiler diets. Four experimental finisher broiler diets were formulated such that diet T1 (control) contained no PKC, YP and PP. Diets T2, T3 and T4 contained PKC, YP and PP combined in the ratios 1:2:1, 1:1:2 and 2:1:1, respectively, replacing 50% of the maize in the respective finisher broiler diets. These diets were randomly assigned to eighty four, four week old unsexed Marshall Broilers in four groups of 21 birds each and 3 replicates of 7 birds respectively, for 28 days. Results obtained indicated that PKC contained higher crude protein and crude fibre (17.05 and 15.09%) and lower nitrogen free extract (54.20%) than YP and PP. PP however, recorded the highest value of nitrogen free extract (70.30%), and lowest ether extract value (2.06%). Broilers fed diets T3 produced numerically higher but comparable (p>0.05) body weight gain (1341.50 vs 1551.40g) and feed conversion ratio (2.40 vs 2.41) to those on diet T1. Values for dressed carcass weights, thigh and back cuts produced by diet T3 were also comparable (p>0.05) to that of diet T1. Breast and wing yield of birds on diet T3 was nevertheless significantly (p<0.05) heavier than other groups. Diets T1 produced significantly heavier gizzard and liver than other groups while abdominal fat, heart and spleen weights produced by birds on diet T1 were comparable (p>0.05) to those on diet T3.Diet T2 produced the poorest performance in most of the parameters measured. Replacement of 50% maize in finisher broiler diets with 1:1:2 combinations of PKC, YP and PP produced a 25.10% savings on feed cost per kg and 24.79% savings on feed cost per kg body weight gain.Keywords: Pperformance; broiler finisher; alternative energ