Growth performance of broiler chickens fed differently soaked Doum Palm (Hyphaene thebaica) pulp meal diets at starter phase.

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the growth performance of broiler chickens (0-4wks old) fed different hourly soaked doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) pulp meal diets. A total of 198 day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to six treatments. Each treatment consisted of 33 birds with three replicates of eleven birds each in a completely randomized design (CRD). Six experimental diets were formulated as follows: T1 (Control) was 0 % of doum palm pulp meal while diets T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 had 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 hours soaked doum palm pulp meals respectively. Feeds and water were provided ad libitum. Significant (p<0.05) differences were observed in final weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Birds fed diet T6 differs significantly (p<0.05) in weight gain (736.67 g/bird) and feed conversion ratio (1.10). Birds fed diets T3, T4 and T5 had similar (p>0.05) values of weight gain (700.98, 726.72, 690.90) with T1 (701.31 g/bird) in terms of weight gain. T2 had significantly (p<0.05) lower mean value of weight gain (641.37) compared to other treatments. Feed cost per weight gain (N/G) showed that birds fed diet T4 and T6 had significantly (p<0.05) lowest cost of production ((N189.52 and N173.45) than other treatments. It was concluded that 4 to 10 hours soaked doum palm pulp meal diets could be used in broiler starter diets without any adverse effects on growth performance.