ABSTRACT

 This study was done on the potentials ofsawdust as based diet feed for turkey birds. A total ofsixty-day old turkey birds were used to evaluate the effect of Zootech fortifier mix on sawdust/pahn kernel cake (PKC) based diets on growth, feed intake, organoleptic test, carcass yield and proportion of the cut-up parts fed for 35 days. The experimental design was complete randomized design offour treatments each replicated three times with five turkey birds perreplicate. The level ofsawdust in the treatment diets were as followed: Ti 0%, T2 5%, T3 10% and T4 15%. The average daily weight gain of diet T4 (34.00g) was significantly high (p<0.01) followed by diet T3 (23.88g) and T2 (23.21g), where the least average daily weight gain was recorded on diet Ti (21.64g). Feed conversion ratio obtained was significant (p<0.01) among treatments. Turkeys fed diets T2 (3.40) and T3 (3.35) were significantly similar and higher (p>0.01) than on T4 (2.57) and Ti (2.62). There was significant (p<0.05) effect on carcass cut parts fed the treatment diets over the Tb The dressed weight, dressed percentage, breast, drumstick, shank, back, neck, wings and head of birds on T4 gave the best result, followed by T3 and T2, while the least was recorded by Tb There was significant effect (p<0.05) in the internal organs of turkey fed the treatment diets over those fed Tb The heart, liver and gizzard ofT4 diet gave the best result, followed by T3 and T2 while the least was recorded by Tb The result obtained in this study showed that, T4 recorded the highest values in gross profit, profit margin and return on investment as compared to other treatments. Thus, the high values obtained in T4 (15% sawdust) showed that, T4 was more economical and beneficial compared to other treatments. There was significant effect (p<0.05) in the texture, flavour, colour and test of the meat as affected by the levels ofsawdust on Zootech fortifier mix among the treatment groups. From the experiment, it could be concluded that sawdust/Zootech fortifier mix improved all parameters including feed intake, weight gain and FCR ofturkey birds fed a diet T4.