Effects of Cocoa Bean Shell on the Performance, Blood Indices and Organ Characteristics of Cockerels

Abstract

One hundred and five Nera cockerels were randomly assigned to 5
isonitrogenous and isocaloric dietary treatments of 0%, 5% 10%, 15% and 20% Cocoa Bean Shell(CBS) in a complete randomized design experiments. Each dietary treatment was replicated three times for an experimental period of 18 weeks (3-8 weeks of age, starter diet, 9-20 weeks of age, grower diet). At the starter phase, cockerel chicks fed
10% CBS based diet had the lowest feed intake and the highest weight (P<0.05). Theobromine intake increased significantly (P<0.05) with CBS inclusions while feed to gain ratio was not significant (P>0.05). In the grower phase, cockerels fed CBS based diet had significantly (P<0.05) low feed intake compared to those on control diet. Feed: gain ratio was significantly (P<0.05) high among birds fed CBS based diets at inclusion
levels of 15 and 20% respectively at the grower phase. Carcass characteristics showed that dressing percentage was similar (P>0.05) for cockerels fed 0% and 5% CBS based diets while gizzards weight significantly (P<0.05) increased with increase in CBS inclusion. Birds fed CBS based diets had low PCV, Hb and high WBC compared with the
control. It was concluded that cocoa bean shell could be used in cockerels diet up top 10% inclusion level.