Effect of aqueous Moringa oleifera (lam) leaf extracts on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken.

Abstract

Two hundred and forty (240) day old Hubbard broiler chicks were used to investigate the effect of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (AMOLE) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. The birds were stabilized for one week before they were randomly allocated into six treatments with four replicates, and each replicate containing 10 broiler chicks, making a total of40 birds per treatment. The completely randomized experimental design (CRD) model was used. The treatments contained AMOLE0, (positive control with antibiotic treatment), AMOLEa_ (negative control with ordinary water), AMOLEM (60 ml), AMOLEm (90 ml), AMOLEl20 (120 ml) and AMOLEl30 (150 ml) indicating the inclusion levels of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts respectively. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Results show that AMOLE treatments significantly (P<0.05) influenced the final body weight, feed intake, water intake, growth rate, feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage, as well as weight of the large intestine and lungs. Birds on positive control had the highestfinal body weight and growth rate (2392.00g and 53.61 g respectively) while birds on 150 mid ofAMOLE had the least (2042.00g and45.37g respectively). Birds on positive control had the highest (84.70 g) feed intakke and birds on 90 ml/litre of AMOLE had the lowest (73.19 g); while the results of feed conversion ratio (FCR) indicate that birds on AMOLEM (90 ml) and AMOLEl20 (120 ml) performed better than the positive control treatment. Birds on the AMOLE treatments had similar dressing percentages though that of positive control was highest (94.93 %); while those on AMOLEaand AMOLEIS0 had the highest large intestine and lung weights respectively. It could, therefore, be concluded that up to 120 ml of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extract can be included in the diet of broiler chicken for improved feed conversion efficiency and as a cheap source of plant growth promoter in broiler chicken production.