ABSTRACT

 This research was carried out to determine the potency of Monodora myristica spice on shelflife of feed and as feed additive in egg-type chicken diet. The phase 1 was the evaluation of the clinical potentials of Monodora myristica spice on shelf life through microbial colony forming unit count. Five diets were formulated for clinical experiment and designated as DI, D2, D3, D4 and D5 having 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0% of Monodora myristica. The microbial Kcolony forming unit count was done at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after feed production. Phase 2 was a biological assay that consisted of two categories of trials The first, a completely randomized design experiment that lasted 35 days, investigated the effects of the spice on the growth, heamatology, and blood chemistry. 150 three weeks (21 days) old lohmann breed eggtype birds were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments designated as D1,D2, D3, D4 and D5 having 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0% of Monodora respectively with each replicated 3 times at 10 chicks per replicate. The second phase was the growing (growers) phase, as the first phase was also completely randomized but lasted 98 days. The second dietary treatments varied from the first on protein and energy composition but with the same levels of inclusion; 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0% of Monodora included for diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. 150 nine weeks (56 days) lohmann egg-type chickens were randomly assigned to the 5 dietary treatments with each replicated 3 times at 10 chicks per replicate. From the results, the total microbial colony forming unit count were reduced by the addition of Monodora myristica to diets, the numerical reduction increased as quantityofiWbwot/ora myristica added in diets increase from 2.5g/kg to 10 g/kg. Monodora myristicaenhanced the reductionin total microbial colony forming unit of the diets.The control (0.0%) inclusion showed significant increase- inthe microbes Colony Forming Units (MCFU) and the Total Colony Count Units (TCCU) from day one to 28 days. The fresh prepared diets showed microbial colony forming units and 28 days after diets formulation there was significant P<0.05 reduction in microbial colony forming units in Monodora myristica supplemented diets. At the chicks starter phase, daily feed intake, daily body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency were improved (P<0.05) by the addition of Monodora into the diets at 0.25%, 0.5% ,0.75% and 1.0% inclusion. Heamoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts were significantly(P<0.05) improved above 0.5% supplementation of Monodora myristica. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) serum glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), Total Protein (TP), albulin, globulin and creatinine were significantly (P<0.05) improved at 1.0% inclusion of Monodora myristica but were not below 0.75% inclusion. The growers’ phase also showed significantly (p<0.05) improvement in daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio in supplemented diets than the control.When feed conversion ratios of the two groups were compared the chicks’ phase were relatively smaller than the growers’ phase with same graded level of inclusion indicated better feed utilization at chicks phase.Supplementation above0.5%were significantly difference (P<0.05). The heamotological parameters of growers (Hb, PCV, WBC& RBC) weresignificantly (P<0.05) different from 5.0g/kg inclusion of Monodora myristica in the dietlhc blood chemistry parameters measured were significantly (P<0.05) different and were within normal range reported for healthy birds at 1.0% supplemented diet. From results obtained may be concluded that Monodora myristica is valuable spice that should be used to supplement egg-type birds diet at a level not below 0.5% inclusion and should be used as part of the ingredients for chick and grower feeds.