ABSTRACT

A trial was conducted to test the effect of grasshopper meal on performance, nutrient utilization and organ of Broiler chicken from starter to finisher phase using one hundred and twenty (120) chicks. The proximate nutrient composition of the Grasshopper meal was determined. The chicks were fed with formulated diet containing grasshopper meal at 0,25,50 and 75kg inclusion levels. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 10 one— day old broiler chicks for forty nine (49) days in a completely randomised design(CRD). Diets were formulated to satisfy the requirements of chicks: thus, crude protein (CP) ranged from 229.8 to 241.2kg 1 and metabolically energy (ME) ranged from 2814 to 2972kca1kg. The birds were fed ad-libitum throughout the period of the experiment. Data on growth, feed intake were collected weekly and daily respectively. At the end of the rearing period a bird from each replicate was fed measured quantity (120g) of test diets according to their group for four days. These birds were used for study of utilization of nutrients in the diets. The grasshopper meal had high proportion of crude protein (357.6g/kg DM) and ether extract (158.6g/kg DM) and crude fibre (1O.6g/kgDM). The grasshopper meal depressed (P<O.05) weight gain and feed efficiency. Nitrogen, Crude fibre, ether extract and energy retention were significantly increased (P<0.05) but did not follow an increasing or decreasing order. Liver weight was significantly decreased (P<0.05) while kidney, gizzard, proventiculus and heart were not. Crude protein (g/kg DM) tended to increase significantly (P<O.05) as the percentage grasshopper meal in the diet increased from O-75g1kg 1 while others followed no particular trend. The results indicate that grasshopper meal is a probable protein source for poultry, especially the broiler chicken.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

Certification

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Table of contents vii

List of tables ix

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO

2.00 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.10 Nutritive value of maggot meal as protein supplement 5

2.20 Nutritive value of shrimp meal as protein supplement in poultry diet 8

2.30 Nutritive value of periwinkle as protein supplement in poultry diet 8

2.40 Nutritive value of termite as protein supplement in poultry die 9

2.50 Use of poultry visceral offal meal as a substitute for fish meal 9

2.60 Grasshopper meal: a potentiiJ protein source for poultry 10

2.70 problems associated with the use of non-conventional feed Ingredients 12

3.00 CHAPTER THREE 14

3.10 period and location of the experiment 14

3.20 procurement and processing of grasshopper meal 14

3.30 Experiment diets 14

3.40 Experimental birds, management and design 16

3.50 Data collection 1 7

3.60 Nutrient retention trial 17

3.70 Carcass evaluation 18

3.80 Determination of protein and energy requirement 19

3.90 Proximate analysis 21

3.91 Economic analysis 21

3.92 Statistical analysis 21

4.00 CHAPTER FOUR

4.10 Results 22

4.20 Discussion 28

5.00 CHAPTER FIVE

5.10. Conclusion and recommendation 31

References