PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS CONTAINING ENZYME (FULLZYME)

Résumé

This study was carried out to assess the effect of exogenous dietary enzyme supplementation on the performance of broiler finisher chickens under a hot dry environment. A total of two hundred and twenty five (225) unsexed Anak Giant strains of broiler chickens were randomly allotted to five dietary
treatments, with 0, 125, 250, 375, and 500 mg/kg enzyme supplementation. Each treatment was replicated three times, with fifteen (15) birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted for thirty (30) days. Feed and water were given ad-libitum. No significant (P>0.05) difference was observed with regards to feed intake, live weight gain and feed conversion ratio among all the treatment groups. Carcass characteristics and organs weights were not significantly (P>0.05) different for all the components. However, the neck, thighs, shanks and back were significantly higher among the treatments. The liver, lungs, and kidneys weights significantly (P<0.05) higher in all the treatment groups. Nutrient digestibility, CP and CF were significantly higher in T3 than T5 while CF was digested significantly (P<0.05) higher rate in control than any of the treatment groups. The cost benefit analysis showed that 375mg/kg enzyme supplemented diet had the heaviest final weight (1777.4) gain at the cost of ₦72.66k in the finisher phase, while the least weight gain (1347.7) at the cost of ₦72.03/kg was obtained in T2 (125mg/kg) enzyme supplementation. This implies that, enzyme (Fulzyme) supplementation at 125 to 500mg/kg did not improve broiler performance.