EFFECTS OF NEEM (Azadirachta indica) AND PUMPKIN (Cucurbita maxima) SEEDS AND THEIR COMBINATION AS FEED ADDITIVE ON BROILERS CHICKEN PERFORMANCE

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of feeding neem (Azadirachta indica) and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed as natural feed additive for broiler chicks on feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass characteristics, mortality, chemical composition and sensory of meat, partial budget analysis and blood parameters of broiler chicks. Unsexed one hundred ninety two day-old Cobb 500 broiler chick with initial weight of 42.57 ± 0.67 (mean± SD) grams were randomly distributed to four treatments each with three replications in a completely randomized design. Feed offered and refusals were recorded every day and Feed Intake (FI) was calculated as the difference between the two. Data on Average Daily Gain, FI and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) were analyzed for starter (1-21 days) and finisher (22-42 days) phases separately as well as for the entire experimental period (42 days). At the end of the trial, four broilers were randomly picked up from each replication and slaughtered for carcass evaluation and the treatment diets used were ration that contain only CBD (T1), 1kg neem seed on 100kg CBD (T2), 1kg pumpkin seed on 100kg CBD (T3) and 1kg of neem and pumpkin seed combination on 100kg of CBD (T4). The NS contain 14.33% CP and 3495kcal/kg DM ME and the PS contains 7.86% CP and 3953 kcal/kg DM ME. The average daily feed intake during the entire experimental period was 109, 114, 117 and 120 g/bird (SEM=1.38) for T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively, and it was significantly higher (p<0.05) for T4 as compared to T1, T2 and T3. The body weight gain during the entire experimental period was 49.2, 54.8, 55.4 and 55.9 g/bird/day (SEM=0.86) for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, and significantly higher for T4 as compared to T1 and T2. The feed conversion ratio during the entire period was 2.22, 2.18, 2.11 and 2.03 (SEM = 0.02) for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively and higher for T4 as compared to T1, T2 and T3. Carcass weight was 1345, 1616, 1627 and 1638 gm (SEM=43.19) for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, and it was higher in T4 than other treatments. The average weight and length of giblet organs and crop was significantly higher (P˂0.05) for T4 as compared to other treatments. The serum cholesterol and white blood cell of broilers in the experimental period were significantly (P˂0.05) decreased but total blood protein was significantly (P˂0.05) increased among treatment which showed that addition of neem and pumpkin seed in the diets of broiler had positive effect on the chicks’ blood. Crude protein percent of breast and thigh meat significantly (P<0.05) increased at T4. It is concluded that neem and pumpkin seed can be a good feed additive for broiler production aside its nutritional importance.