ABSTRACT

A 56 day feeding trial involving 135 one-week-old Sayed broiler chicks was conducted to evaluate the performance, carcass, economic characteristics and haematological and serum biochemical profile of broilers fed toasted bambara groundnut seed (TBGS) at the starter and finisher phases. The birds were divided into five dietary treatment groups of 27 birds per treatment with 9 birds per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design. The birds were fed diets containing varying levels of toasted bambara groundnut seed meal at 0, 7.5, 15.0, 22.5, and 30.0% designated as diets T1, T2, T3, T4and T5respectively. The birds were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and weekly thereafter. Experimental diets and water were offered ad libitum. At 8 weeks of age, two birds per replicate were weighed and slaughtered for carcass evaluation while blood was collected from the jugular vein of two birds per replicate for haematological and serum biochemical test. The parameters such as growth performance, economics of production were assessed for both starter and finisher broiler chicken while carcass, organ characteristics, haematology and serum biochemistry were assessed at the end of the experiment. The result of the experiment showed that TBGS contains crude protein of 19.44% and crude fibre of 13.89%. The final live weight and ADG of the birds fed the control diet T1, diet T4and T5were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of birds fed diet T2and T3. The ADFI of birds fed control diet T1 (73.25g) and diet T5(71.57%) were significantly higher (P><0.05) than the other diets but similar to ADFI of birds fed diet T3(64.70g) and diet T4(69.93g). The FCR of birds fed diet T3(3.26) was significantly higher (P><0.05) than the FCR of birds fed the control diet T1, diets T2, T4and T5. At the finisher phase, birds fed diet T5had significantly (P><0.05) higher final live weight than birds fed the other diets but similar to final live weight of birds fed the control diet T1 (2232.54g), diets T3(2202.54g) and T4(2288.84g). Birds fed diets T2had significantly (P><0.05) lower ADFI than the other diets. Birds fed diet T3and T5had significantly (P><0.05) lower FCR than birds fed the control diet T1but similar (P>0.05) to FCR of birds fed diets T2and T4Birds fed the diet T1 (2176.67g), diets T3(2165.oOg), T4 (2111.67g) and T5(2133.33g) had significantly higher (P<0.05) live weight at slaughter than birds fed diet T2(1788.33g). Birds fed the control diet T1 had the highest abdominal fat of 1.70% but similar to that of birds fed diets T2, T3and T5. Birds fed diet T4 had lowest abdominal fat (0.76%). No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in haematological values of the birds except for mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) where birds fed diet T2recorded the highest value (23.33pg) but was similar to birds fed control diet T1 (16.50pg). The serum protein and globulin content of birds fed diet T5(7.45g/dl; 4.16g!dl) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than birds fed control diet T1, diets T2, T3and T4. Birds fed the control diet T1 and diet T2had significantly higher (P><0.05) albumin values than birds fed other diets. The cholesterol content of birds fed diet 3 (100.67mg/dl) were significantly lower (P><0.05) than birds fed other diets but was similar to cholesterol content of birds fed the control diet Ti(103.74mg/dl), diets T2(110.40mg/dl), T4 (1 18.67mg/dl) and T5(1 16.72mgldl). However, the birds fed the control diet T1, diets T2, T4and T5had similar cholesterol values. On economics of production, the birds fed the control diet T1, diets T4 and T5had similar (P>0.05) but higher