COCOYAM (COLOCASIA ESCULENTA) PEEL MEAL SUPPLEMENTED WITH PALM OIL ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS

Abstract

One hundred and twenty (120) Abor acre broiler birds of one (1) week of age were used to evaluate the effect of cocoyam (colocasia esculenta) peel meal supplemented with palm oil on the growth performance of broilers. They were weighed and randomly assigned to four (4) dietary treatment formulated to contain the test ingredient cocoyam peel meal at levels of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% with thirty (30) birds allotted to each of the treatment diet and the treatments were replicated three times. The crude protein (2.18%), crude fibre (7.78%), ether extra (0.37%), ash (3.27%) and NFE (86.40%), the anti-nutritional factors (ANF) are oxalate (0.078%), tannin (0.069%) and HCN (mg/kg) 26.28. The average final live weight and the average daily weight gain decreases across the treatment groups with increase in cocoyam peel meal inclusion. The control had the highest value than the rest of dietary treatment groups. Decreasing feed production cost (N/kg) (51.33, 48.97, 46.81 and 42.49 naira) was observed as inclusion level of cocoyam peel meal increased from 0 to 15%. Similarly, average cost of daily feed intake by each test group followed the same decreasing trend (N8.65, N7.74, N7.32 and N5, 67) for 0, 5, 10 and 15% inclusion levels respectively. The liver values for diet IV had the highest value that was significantly (P<0.05) different from the control diet. Diets III and IV were statistically similar to diet 1. There were significant differences (P<0.05) for thigh cut, while the other parameters were not affected by the dietary treatments. There were no significant differences (P<0.05) in alkaline phosphate, Hb and PCV, while total protein, albumin, RBC and WBC were significantly different (P<0.05) from each other