Effect of Supplementation of Palm Kernel Meal with Yeast Culture Enzyme on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effect of supplementation of palm kernel meal with yeast culture enzyme additive on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. The palm kernel meal supplemented with yeast culture enzyme was used to replace soyabean meal at various levels to determine the best replacement that would give optimal performance in broiler chickens diets. The proximate composition of palm kernel meal showed that it contained 91.05% dry matter, 8.9% moisture, 4.2% ash, 20.00% crude protein, 6.50% ether extract, 1.3% crude fibre, 66.07% nitrogen free extract (NFE) and 3481.81 Kcal/Kg metabolizable energy. In the starter feeding trial, the palm kernel meal supplemented yeast culture enzyme was used to replace soyabean meal at levels of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% each. Each starter diet was fed to a group of 30 broiler chicks for four weeks using completely randomized design. Each treatment was divided into three replicates of 10 broiler chicks each. Parameters determined include; initial body weight, final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and cost of production. In the finisher feeding trial, the replacements were 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% PKM to replace soyabean meal in the control diet. Each finisher diet was fed to a group of 30 finisher broiler chickens for another four weeks using completely randomized design. The parameters determined include; initial body weight, final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, cost of production and carcass characteristics. In the starter feeding trial, the starter broiler chicks fed 25% PKM supplemented with yeast culture enzyme compared favourably with those fed the control diet (P<0.05) in terms of feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio and hence recorded highest body weight gain. The cost of production of the starter broiler chicks was lowest for Treatment 5 (N361.47) (100% PKM supplemented with yeast culture enzyme) while the costliest was Treatment 1 (Control) N494.89. In the finisher feeding trial, the finisher broiler chickens fed 75% PKM supplemented with yeast culture enzyme compared favourably with those on the control diet in terms of body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. It was observed that the finisher broiler chickens could tolerate high palm kernel meal supplemented with yeast culture enzyme up to 75% inclusion in their diets. The cost of production of the finisher broiler chickens was lowest for Treatment 5(100% PKC supplemented with yeast culture enzyme) (N308.90) versus N354.74 for the control which was the costliest. The internal organs expressed as percent of the live-weight were not affected by the treatments. The results of the trials have shown that supplementation of palm kernel meal with yeast culture increased its digestibility and reduced high fibre level of palm kernel meal. Palm kernel meal supplemented with yeast culture enzyme could be used up to 25% in the diets of starter broiler chicks and up to 75% in the diets of finisher broiler chickens without affecting body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio negatively.