PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKEN FED DIETS CONTAINING COWPEA MILLING WASTE AND PLANTAIN PEEL MEAL MIXTURE

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Poultry Unit of the Department of Animal Production Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Technology, Minna Nigeria. A total number of 144 day old chicks were used for the study. The birds were randomly allotted into four treatments of three replicates each consisting of 12 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD) model. The treatments were T1 (birds fed control diet), T2 (birds fed 10 % mixture of cowpea milling waste(CMW) and plantain peel meal (PPM)), T3 (birds fed 20 % CMW & PPM), and T4 (birds fed 30 % CMW & PPM). The result showed that the feed intake, body weight gained and final body weight were influenced (P>0.05) by the inclusion of mixture of cowpea milling waste and plantain peel meal (CMW & PPM). The results of the total feed intake showed that birds fed on CMW & PPM 0 % (control group) had significantly (P<0.05) higher feed intake of 1023.7g while birds on CMW & PPM 20 % (T3) had Significantly (P<0.05) lower feed intake of 750.56 g. However, mortality rate was significant at finisher phase. Broiler on T1 (0 % CMW & PPM) and T2 (10 % CMW & PPM) had significantly (P<0.05) higher mortality. It was concluded that CMW & PPM mixture in the diets of broiler chicken should not exceed 20 % for optimum growth performance and feed conversion.