ABSTRACT

Performance of broiler birds fed graded levels of sweet potato peel meal in place of maize based diet was investigated using 120 one week-old marshal broiler' birds. They were randomly assigned to four (4) dietary treatment groups having 3 reeducates with 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Diet 1 was based and served as control diet. The test ingredient replaced maize at 5%, 10% and 15% in diets 2,3, and 4, respectively. Each diet was offered ad-labium for a period of 56 days. The proximate composition and gross energy (GE) of the test ingredient were as follows; Dm (91.31%), crude protein (6.83%), crude fibre (0.37%), ash (4.59%), nitrogen free extract (86.97%) and gross energy (3.s6kcallkg). The anti-nutritional factors of the test ingredient were as follows; tannin (0.027%), hydrogen cyanide (2.24%). There was no significant difference among treatments (p>O.05) for all the growth parameters except for final weights and weight gain!birdlday. The feed conversion ratio values (2.14, 2.37, 2.43 and 2.45) numerically favored diet 1 among others. Carcass characteristics values showed no significant difference among treatments in all the parameters measured except for live weight. The percentage dressed weight (67.51, 69.511,68.79, 66.10) for all the treatment groups fell within the normal range of dressing percentage of broilers. Despite the fact that there was no significant difference in the carcass qualky, diet 1 is favored in terms of prime parts like thigh, chest and drumstick. The weight of organs showed no significant difference for all the parameters except for intestine. Gross margin values (N959.66, N849.98, N842.75 kind N840.73) favored diet I among others. Judging from growth performance, carcass characteristics, organ weights and economics of the diet, sweet potato peel meal can not replace maize even at 5% level of inclusion.