RESPONSE OF TWO BREEDS OF BROILER-CHICKENS TO THE UTILIZATION OF THREE SELECTED LEAF MEALS AND THEIR COMPOSITES AS FEED ADDITIVES

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the response of two breeds of broiler-chickens (Cobbs and Abor Acre) on the utilization of Avocado (ALM), Bamboo (BLM) and Gliricidia (GLM) leaf meals and their composites as feed additives. The leaves were manually harvested, air-dried and milled to produce ALM, BLM and GLM, respectively and mixed in ratio 1:1:1 to form the composite leaf meals (CLM), these were added to the basal diets to form the experimental diets. The diets 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 contained 5g/kg BLM, GLM, ALM, GLM+ALM, BLM+ALM, LM+GLM, GLM+BLM+ALM, respectively, while diet 1 was the control. One hundred and ninety-two each of Arbor Acre and Cobbs day-old chicks procured were distributed into the eight treatment groups of eight chicks per replicate of three replicates for each treatment of the two breeds of broiler chicks. At the end of the feeding trial, the performance indices, Carcass characteristics and relative organ weights, haematological, serum parameter and the serum antioxidants properties of birds fed the test diets were determined. All the data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS software package. Results obtained revealed a significant difference (p>0.05) in the final weight (371.60g) and weight gain (333.78g) in birds fed diet containing BLM at day 1-14 with the cobbs breed having the highest final weight and weight gain, 361.56g and 323.84g, respectively. At day 1-21 Days, birds fed diets with ALM had the highest final weight and weight gain (818.47g and 780.63g, respectively). At day 1-42, Cobbs breed also had the highest final weight (2079g) and weight gain (2041.45g). The carcass parameter also showed that wing and head weights were highest in birds fed diet with BLM (77.24g and 26.29g). Significant differences were observed in various relative organ weights, muscle development, haematological and serum parameters of birds fed the test diets. It could therefore be concluded that phyto-supplements at 5g/kg basal diet used in this study improved the growth, haematological and serum properties of broiler chickens