Preliminary observations on the use of dry urea treatment and toasting for improving the nutritive value of jackbean Canavalia ensiformis for young broiler chicks

Abstract

Raw unprocessed jackbean contains 28 - 30% crude protein but also contains toxic elements that limit its use as feed ingredient for nionogastric animals. A 21 - day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of dry urea treatment prior to toasting on its  nutritive value for young broiler chicks. One of two batches of raw jackbean was mixed with 2.5% of its weight of crushed urea and allowed to stand for 10 days and then toasted. The other batch was toasted without  urea application. The two treated jackbean meals were used to compound broiler starter diets at 10 and 20% dietary levels, respectively, and along with control diet fed to groups of 40 young broiler chicks for 21 days. Hydrolysis of urea by the urease of the jackbean was completed in six days. Urea treatment/ toasting slightly reduced crude protein content of jackbean, but diets containing it at both 10% and 20% compared favourably with the control. Raw toasted  jackbean significantly (P<0.05) depressed performance of the young broiler chicks at 20% dietary level.

Keywords: Jackbean, dry urea treatment, broilers.