EFFECTS OF FEEDING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF Moringa stenopetala LEAF MEAL ON FEED INTAKE, GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF COBB 500 CHICKEN

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing Moringa stenopetala leaf mea l(MSLM) on feed intake, growth performance and carcass characteristics of cobb 500 Chicken at Haramaya university poultry farm. A total of 192 Cobb 500 day-old broiler chicks with initial body weight of 36.23±0.25 (Mean±SD) gram were randomly 16 chicks per replicate distributed into 12 pens, representing 4 treatment diets each replicated three times. The experiment lasted for 45 days and birds were kept on deep litter housing system. Treatments were formed in the inclusion of MSLM at the level of 0(T1), 5(T2), 10(T3) and 15% (T4). Initial weight was taken before starting and the final weight was recorded every week to calculate weight gain at the end of the experiment. Data on feed intake, feed leftover and mortality were recorded daily and feed efficiency was computed by dividing average gain to feed intake. Four birds were randomly selected and slaughtered from each replication for carcass evaluation at the end of the study. The crude protein content of maize, MSLM, wheat short, soybean and noug seed cake were 9, 26.9, 15, 40.6 and 32.5% respectively. The metabolizable energy content of maize, MSLM, wheat short, soybean and noug seed cake were 3650, 2788, 3279, 3279 and 2323 kcal/Kg respectively. Daily feed intake during the entire experimental period ranged from 76 to 94 g/bird and was significantly different (P<0.05) for T2, T3 and T4 than T1. Daily body weight gain for the entire experimental period were 30.6, 35.4, 34.0, and 31.9 (SEM = 1.8) for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively and values were not significant (P>0.05) with each other. Inclusion of MSLM increased yield of most carcass parameters such as dressed weight (1271.17, 1510.00, 1474.67and 1423.20, for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively), eviscerated weight (855.29, 994.78, 1006.00 and 982.86, for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively), breast weight (367.47, 436.56, 443.89 and 425.98, for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively) and thigh weigh (132.02, 152.33, 158.44 and 147.40, for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively). In conclusion supplementation of Moringa stenopetala leaf meal up to 15% in the ration resulted in better broiler performance