Utilization Of Varying Dietary Levels Of Neem Leaf Meal (Azadirachta Indica A. Juss) By Broiler Chicken:- Eyoh, Jude E

ABSTRACT X A 49 - day feeding trial involving 96 - One - week, old Anak broiler chicks to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion ofsundried neem leaf meal (NLM) at 0, 5.0, 10.0, and 10 and 15% designated diets 1. 2. 3 and 4 respectively on the performance, economics of production, carcass and organ characteristics, haematological and serum biochemical values of broilers at starter and finisher phases was conducted. The birds were divided into four (4) treatment groups oftwenty four (24) birds replicated three times at eight (8) birds per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Birds were fed ad libitum and feed intake was mornitored daily. They were weighed at the beginning ofthe trial and weekly thereafter and at eight (8) weeks, two birds per replicate were sacrificed for blood collection to assess haematological and serum biochemical indices as well as carcass and organ weight evaluation. Data collected and analysed showed the following results. Neem leaf meal contains 22.57% crude protein, 15.13% crude fibre, ether extract 5.34%, ash, 10.69%, and nitrogen free extract 41.23%. The final live weight at the starter phase were 679.20g, 512.53g, 549.97g and 505.0g while feed conversion ratio were 2.41, 3.03, 3.0 and 4.05 and average daily weight gain (ADG) were 26.42g, 18.27g, 20.15g, and 18.24g for T|, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The birds fed diet 1 (control diet) had significantly higher (P< 0.05) liveweight and ADG than birds fed the other diets. The birds fed the control were more efficient (P<0.05) in converting feed consumed than birds fed the other treatment diets. At the finisher phase, the birds consumed less feed (P<0.05), gained less weight (P<0.05) and converted less efficiently (P<0.05) as the dietary level of NLM increased in the diets. Result ofthe economics of production showed that the birds fed the control diet had the least (P<0.05) cost/kg weight gain and recorded the best return in revenue and gross margin at the starter (N543.33) (N399.44)) and finisher phases (N 1354.33) (N 1041.61) respectively compared to the birds fed the other diets. Birds fed the control diet had higher (P<0.05) live weight at slaughter (1491.67g), dressed weight (875.00g), defeathered weight (1341.6g), breast (30.65g), drum stick (17.42g), kidney (1.23g) and spleen (0.34g) than birds led the other treatment diets. However they had similar (P>0.05) dressing %, breast and drumstick to birds fed the diet 2 (5% NLM). The other cut parts ofthe broilers were comparable (P>0.05) among the treatment groups. The red blood cell (RBC) (x 106ul), haemoglobin (Hb), pack cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) differed (P<0.05) significantly among the birds fed treatment diets. The values were RBC 4.43, 5.95, 5.57 and 5.04 (x 10'7uL), Hb 6.33, 5.47, 6.20, 6.27g/dl, PCV 27.67, 36.67, 22.0, 30.33%, MCH 14.37. 9.39. 17.51 and 12.43fl and MCHC 23.98, 15.23,28.30 and 20.71 g/dl for birds fed diets 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Glucose, creatinine (mg/dl) and total protein, albumin and globulin (g/dl) differed (P<0.05) significantly among the treatment groups. The values were glucose 53.32, 54.32, 63.13 and 65.98 mg/dl, creatinine 1.33, 1.58. 1.67, 1.69 mg/dl and total protein 4.90. 5.45, 6.84 and 6.07 g/dl. The birds fed NLM diets had higher (P<0.05) levels of total protein, globulin, glucose and creatinine than the control diet. However, the birds fed the control diet had similar levels of glucose, total protein and globulin compared to the birds fed diet 2. The white blood cell, mean corpuscular volume, cholesterol and urea did not differ (P>0.05) significantly among treatment groups. It could be concluded that sundried NLM cannot be incorporated into broiler starter and finisher diets upto 5.0% without adverse effects on the growth, economics, carcass characteristics and physiological welfare ofthe birds.