Performance and carcass characteristics of broilers fed diets containing graded levels of palm oil supplemented with Vitamin E

Abstract

Experiment was conducted for 9 weeks to test performance and carcass quality of 96 day-old Anak broiler chicks fed diets containing graded levels of palm oil supplemented with vitamin E. The inclusion levels of the palm oil were 0, 5, 10 and 16% supplemented with 0, 0.06, 0.12 and 0.18g of vitamin E/kg of feed tested at starter phase (1-5wks) as diets 1 - 4 and finisher phase (6-9wks) as diets 5 - 8. The diets were formulated such that diets 1 and 5 (control diets) had no palm oil and vitamin E while others 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 (test diets) had palm oil and vitamin E at the respective levels mentioned above. The energy and protein levels at the starter phase were 12.35 MJME/kg and 23% crude protein (CP) while at the finisher phase, energy and protein levels were 12.60 MJME/kg and 20% CP. The average feed intake of the birds on diets 3 and 4 were significantly increased (P<0.05) while the averages of body weight and metabolizable energy intake of birds on diet 4, body weight gain and efficiency of feed utilization of birds on diet 3 were better (P<0.05) than others at the starter phase. At the finisher phase, average feed intake of birds on diets 7 and 8, averages of body weight and metabolizable energy intake of birds on diet 8, averages of body weight gain (diet 7) and efficiency of feed utilization of birds on diets 5 and 7 were increased  significantly (P<0.05) than those of other diets. The average back weight of birds on diets 5, 6 and 8, average neck weight of birds on diet 7, average shank weight of birds on diets 5 and 8, averages of gizzard weight of birds on diets 5 and 8 and proventriculus of diet 5 were significantly
increased (P<0.05) more than the other diets while nominal increases were recorded in some parameters measured. There were no significant differences in the average values of live, carcass and dressed weights. The
results of the research showed that high level of palm oil supplemented with vitaminEespecially at 16% of palm oil inclusion enhanced performance of broilers at starter and finisher phases.

Keywords: Performance, carcass, broilers, palm oil, vitamin E, starter, finisher