Effects of feeding Diets containing Capsaicin from red hot pepper (Capsicum annum) on the growth performance of Marshal Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to study the effects of feeding diets containing different levels of capsaicin from red hot pepper (Capsicum annum) on the growth performance of Marshal Broiler chickens. One hundred and twenty (120) day old unsexed Marshal Broiler chicks were assigned randomly into four treatments replicated three times with ten birds per replicate using deep litter system of management. Red hot pepper was included at 0.00%, 1.00%, 1.25% and 1.50% representing T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The red hot pepper was added to a commercial broiler starter diet. Parameters measured were average weekly feed intake, average weekly body weight, average weekly body weight gain and average weekly feed conversion ratio of the broiler birds. The results showed that the consumption of the higher levels of capsaicin significantly (P < 0.05) affected fee intake and body weight while body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not significantly affected (P > 0.05). It was concluded that intake of capsaicin, improved the performance of the Marshal Broiler birds fed red hot pepper-based diets.