Performance And Economic Analysis Of Egg Production Of Laying Pullets Fed Urea-Treated And Fermented Brewer\'s Dried Grains Diets In Place Of Groundnut Cake

Abstract

The effect of replacing groundnut cake (GNC) with urea-treated and fermented brewer\'s dried grains at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% graded levels in pullet layers diets was investigated. Five dietary treatments were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric to provide 17% crude protein and 2600kcal/kg metabolizable energy. One hundred and twenty pullet layers of Goldline hybreed were randomly allotted into five treatments of 24 birds each and replicated three times with 8 birds per replicate. They were fed ad libitum in deep litter for eight weeks. Daily feed intake, total eggs produced for the period, total eggs weight per bird and feed conversion ratio were not significantly (P>0.05) different, while significant (P<0.5) differences were observed in final body weight, body weight gain, total eggs produced per bird per week, average egg weight and hen day production. Hen day was similar for the control and up to 75% replacement level. It was more economical and profitable to use urea-treated and fermented brewer\'s dried grains in replacing GNC in pullet layer\'s diets.

Keywords: Egg weight, Groundnut cake, Hen day production, pullet layers, Urea-treated and fermented BDG.

Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 61-64