DIETARY PROTEIN REQUIREMENT FOR GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF FUNAAB ALPHA BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

A thirteen-week trial was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Minna Nigeria to determine dietary protein requirement for growth performance and nutrient digestibility of FUNAAB Alpha broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) day-old of FUNAAB Alpha chicks was used for the study. The chicks were grade and randomly allocated to four varying dietary protein levels of 14, 17, 20 and 23 % CP and were tagged CP14, CP17, CP20 and CP23, respectively. The birds were allocated to the four treatments using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Each treatment group was replicated thrice with ten birds per replicate. The birds were housed in deep litter system where they received uniform care and management. The experiment lasted for thirteen weeks. Light was provided 24 hours daily, while feed and clean cool drinking water were given ad libitum. Data on feed intake, daily weight gain, FCR and nutrient digestibility were collected and subjected to one-way analysis of variance where differences occurred, they were separated using Duncan multiple range test. There were no differences (P>0.05) in all the growth parameters measured. Digestibility results indicated that dietary treatments had effect (P<0.05) in all the parameters measured. The birds on CP 14 % had better (P<0.05) DM (89.82 %), CF (81.90 %) and ash (70.17 %) digestibility than all the other treatments. It was thus, concluded and recommended that CP level of 14 % is adequate for FUNAAB Alpha chickens since there were no significant difference between this level and other higher protein levels used. This level also gave the highest DM, CF and ash digestibility.