ABSTRACT

Two hundred and seventy day old unsexed broilers were used to determine the performance, haematological indices, carcass characteristics and feed cost of broilers fed 30 or 40% raw pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seed meal (PSM) diets supplemented with lysine and or methionine. There were nine treatments replicated three times. The experimental design was 3 x 4 factorial in a completely randomized design (CRD). Lysine and meihionine supplementation were 0.10 and 0.25%, respectively at the starter phase. while at the finisher phase, it was 0.10 and 0.15%, respectively. The control (Ti) diet had 0% raw pigeon pea and no amino acid supplementation. T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 30% raw pigeon pea diets supplemented with no amino acid, lysine, methionine and lysine+methionine, respectively. T6, T7, T8 and T9 diets contained 40% raw PSM supplemented with no aniino acid, lsine, methionine and lysine+methionine, respectively. Performance criteria measured were daily weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) final live weight and mortality at the end of both the starter and finisher phases. Haematological indices (haemoglobin count, packed cell volume, hite blood cell count and red blood cell count), carcass quality and organ characteristics, and feed cost were also determined. Results showed that the raw pigeon pea seed meal (PSM) and maize used in the study had CP content of 22.48% and 10.64%, respectively while the CF content of raw PSM was 5.72%. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences among starter broilers fed 30 and 40% raw pigeon pea seed meal diets in all performance parameters measured. Broilers fed methionine or lvsine+methionine supplemented diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher live weight and average daily weight gain, daily feed intake, and significantly (P><0.05) lower protein intake than broilers fed diet supplemented with lysine. Amino acid supplementation significantly (P><0.05) affected only live weight and daily weight gain of broilers. The red and white blood cells of broilers fed un-supplemented PSM diet xii were significantly (P>0.05) affect any of the haematological indices measured. The diet of 40% raw PSM significantly