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Influence of Moringa oleifera l. and Adansonia digitata l. leaf meals on performance and egg quality characteristics of Amok layers


M.L. Abubakar
J.I. Zubair
K.D. Adeyemi
O.L. Kareem
M.L. Zaharadeen
A.M. Usman
D. Sani

Abstract

twelve-week trial was conducted to assess the influence of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera and Adansonia digitata (Baobab) leaf meals on laying performance and egg quality characteristics of Amok layers. A total of 84, point of lay birds were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments namely; T1, control diet without leaf meal; T2, diet containing 2.5% Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal (MOLM), T3, diet containing 2.5% Baobab Leaf Meal (BLM) and T4, diet containing 2.5% MOLM+2.5% BLM. Each treatment had seven replicates with three birds per replicate. Feed intake in T1 and T3 birds did not differ (p>0.05) but was lower (p<0.05) than those of T2 and T4 birds. Diet had no effect (p>0.05) on feed conversion ratio in layers. Body weight gain was higher (p<0.05) in the T1 birds than in the T4 birds. Hen day production was higher (p<0.05) in T3 birds compared with those fed other diets. The T1 birds had lower (p<0.05) hen day production than that of birds fed other diets. Proximate composition of egg did not differ (p>0.05) between the treatments. Dietary inclusion of MOLM, and BLM influenced (p<0.05) the external and internal egg quality traits except egg length and Haugh unit. These results suggest that the inclusion of 2.5% MOLM, 2.5% BLM, and a combination of 2.5% MOLM and 2.5% BLM could be utilized in the diet of layers, without deleterious effects on laying performance and egg quality traits. In this respect, the inclusion of 2.5% BLM seemed to be the best.


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eISSN: 1119-4308