Abstract:
There is continuous quest for alternative feed ingredients in poultry nutrition and the use of leaf meals could help in reducing feed cost. Thus, this study was carried out to assess the effects of equi-protein replacement of soyabean meal (SBM) with Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. Five experimental diets were formulated in which the dietary SBM protein was replaced with MOLM protein at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. A total of 200 4-week old started broiler chickens were randomly allocated to the 5 dietary treatments with 10 birds per replicate and 4 replicates per treatment in a completely randomized experimental design. The feeding trial lasted for 4 weeks, and feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Records of feed intake and weight gain were taken and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) calculated. Two birds per replicate were slaughtered at the end of the 4-week experimental period for carcass, organ and muscle characteristics and haematology studies. Pigmentation of shank and skin, organoleptic scores of raw and cooked meat, moisture and lipid contents of meat, and oxidative stability of meat samples frozen for one month were determined. The growth performance and carcass characteristics of chickens fed diets containing MOLM was not significantly (p>0.05) different from control up to 50% level of MOLM inclusion. There was a significant (p<0.05) reduction in serum cholesterol concentration with increasing levels of MOLM in the diets. Total microbial count (TMC) in meat of the broiler chickens reduced substantially up to 50% level of MOLM inclusion while TMC increased with length of refrigeration (p<0.05). Lipid contents of meat decreased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of MOLM in the diets. Scores for pigmentation of shank and skin increased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of MOLM in the diets but organoleptic qualities of cooked meat were lower (p<0.05) in the MOLM-fed chickens when compared with the control. Extent of oxidation of meat decreased numerically with increasing levels of MOLM in the diets up to 50% MOLM inclusion. It was concluded that dietary SBM protein could be replaced with that of MOLM at up to 50% without adverse effect on performance while offering substantial improvement in quality of broiler-chicken meat
