Replacement value of poultry visceral offal meal in the diet of broiler chickens

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the replacement value of poultry visceral offal meal (PVOM) substituting for fish meal (FM) on an equal protein basis in the diets or unsexed Ross-strain broiler chickens from day-old to 8 weeks of age. One hundred and fifty birds were allotted in groups of 10 into 15 equidimeosional floor pens with floor space of 0.189m² per bird. There were three replicates per treatment diet, with 10 birds per pen serving as a replicate. Five treatment diets, each for the starter and finisher phases of 5-and 3-week duration respectively were fed ad libitum. Diet A (control) contained 8% FM which was gradually replaced with PVOM at 2.3,4.6,6.90 and 9.20% in diets B,C,D and E respectively for both phases. All the diets were isocaloric (ca 12MJ ME/kg) for both phases and isonitrogenous with 23 and 20% dietary crude protein contents for the starter and finisher diets respectively. Feed intake and feed conversion ratios (FCR) were similar (P > 0.05) on all diets in support or complete substitution. However, weight gain for 8 weeks on the control diet was better (P < 0.05) than those on FM/PVOM- and PVOM-diets whose weight gains were similar (P > 0.05). The mean feed intake values of 4.031, 3.936, 3.760, 3.870 and 3.715 kg/bird were obtained for birds receiving diets A,B,C,D and E respectively while the equivalent FCRs were 2.326, 2.352, 2.233, 2.326 and 2.340. The mean weiglat gaias for birds on diets A,B,C,D and E for 8 weeks were 1.824, 1.688, 1.689, 1.676 and 1.590 kg/bird respectively. The dressed weight and wrights of back, drumsticks, thighs and wings were similar (P > 0.05) for all diets in favour of complete substitution of FM with PVOM. Mean dressing percentages were 58.24 to 69.07%. It is concluded that PVOM could replace FM completely in broiler diets.

Keywords: Broilers, visceral offal meal, fish meal, performance and carcass characteristics.