Performance characteristics of broiler chickens fed composite leaf meal as alternative premix

Abstract

This study produced composite leaf meal from five vegetables to replace commercial premix in broiler diets. Fresh moringa, African basil, cassava, fluted pumpkin and bitter leaves were harvested, air-dried and milled separately and were later mixed in equal proportion (ratio 1:1:1:1:1) into a composite meal and used to replace broiler commercial premix at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 % in place of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 % reduction levels of commercial premix, respectively. Three hundred day-old broilers were randomly allotted at 50 chicks per treatment of 5 replicates using performance and cost implication as response criteria. All the growth parameters measured were not significantly influenced (p˃0.05) by the dietary treatments. The highest final weights (2.71 kg/bird) and best feed conversion ratio was recorded in Diet II birds. Highest dress and eviscerated weights (88.15 and 77.07 %) were recorded in Diet I birds, while lowest dress weight (86.62 %) was recorded in Diet VI birds and lowest eviscerated weight (73.77 %) occurred in Diet V birds. The heart, lung, pancreas and belly fat weights were influenced (p<0.05) by the dietary treatments among measured organs. The average price realized/bird and average price gained/bird were highest in Diet II birds (₦2660.00 and ₦1906.07). Generally, the percentage cost reduction increased as the level of the composite meal inclusion increased. Conceivably, within the limit of this study the replacement of commercial broiler premix with CLM could help to stem over dependence of broiler farmers on importation of premix.

Keywords: Broiler, Leaves, Composite leaf meal, Premix, Performance, Cost