EFFECT OF DRIED TOMATO WASTE MEAL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND SELECTED HEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF COBB 500 BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

A total of 180 Cobb 500 day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 15 pens. Five different rations consisting different inclusion levels of Tomato Waste Meal (TWM) were prepared and randomly assigned to treatments to evaluate the growth performances, carcass characteristics and selected hematological and serum biochemical parameters of the chicks. The inclusion levels of TWM were 0% (T1), 3% (T2), 6% (T3), 9% (T4) and 12% (T5). The experiment was conducted for a period of 45 days and the design used was a completely randomized design (CRD). At the end of the experiment, 4 chickens (2 males and 2 females) from each replication were selected based on pen average body weight for the measurement of carcass characteristics. The chemical composition of TWM were 24.6% crude protein (CP), 26.7% crude fibre (CF), 12.3% ether extract (EE), 6.8% ash and 1975 kcal/kg DM ME. There was no significance (P>0.05) difference between treatments on feed intake of chickens at starter phase. In finisher phase the daily feed intake of chickens was ranged from 138.00±0.60 (T5) to 155.20±3.44 (T3) g/bird/day and it was higher (P<0.01) in T3 as compared to other treatments. For the entire phase feed intake was greater (P<0.05) in T3 followed by T4 than T1, T2 and T5. The average daily body weight gain of chickens for the entire experimental period were 37.85, 40.42, 43.10, 41.90 and 33.27 (SEM=0.93) g/bird/day for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively and it was greater (P<0.001) for T3 as compared to the rest treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the finisher and entire experimental period were higher for T5 and T1 than T2, T3 and T4 (P<0.001). Treatments were different (P<0.01) from each other in slaughter, dressed, breast, and drumstick-thigh carcass weight and they are in the order of T3>T4>T2>T1>T5 based on these parameters. This indicated that feed consumed by T3 and T4 were more efficiently used for carcass production. The abdominal fat weight and percentage were significantly (P<0.001) decreased when the inclusion levels of TWM increase while the length of ceaca was increased (P<0.001) when the inclusion levels of TWM xv increased. No significant difference was observed among treatments in hematological parameters (RBC, WBC and PCV). However, (P<0.01) hemoglobin count was higher in T5 as compared to the other treatments. Among the serum biochemical parameters, serum cholesterol was significantly (P<0.05) affected by different inclusion levels of TWM and negative correlation was occurred (when the inclusion levels of TWM increase the serum cholesterol decreased), similar to that of abdominal fat. The partial budget analysis indicated that T3 has higher net income followed by T4, T2 and T5 than control group (T1). However, T5 has slightly a deleterious effect on growth performance. Therefore, the inclusion of TWM up to 9% (T4) in the diet of broiler chickens has no adverse effect on growth performance, carcass characteristics, hematological and serum biochemical parameters and improved the profitability of broiler chicks.