Performance and haematological profile of broiler starter birds fed graded levels of Allamanda cathartica (L) seed meal diets

Abstract

The response of 120 day-old broiler starter birds to graded dietary inclusion levels of 0.0 %, 2.5 %, 5.0 %, 7.5 % and 10.0 % of raw Allamanda cathartica (L) seed meal (ACSM) to form diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively was investigated. The isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were fed to the birds for 4 weeks, after which a digestibility trial was carried out. Blood samples were collected for haematological and biochemical analyses at the end of the second week. Feed intake/bird/week and weight gain/bird/week decreased progressively as the dietary inclusion level of ACSM increased (280.52g/209.34g, 160.20g/99.50g, 90.41g/53.18g, 70.10g/38.73g and 41.30g/21.51g for diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively); while feed conversion ratio increased progressively (p<0.05) as the dietary ACSM level increased (1.34, 1.61, 1.70, 1.81 and 1.92 for diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively). No mortality was recorded for the control diet (with 0 % dietary inclusion level of ACSM), while mortality increased progressively as the dietary ACSM level increased (p<0.05), reaching up to 100 % at 10 % inclusion level. Dietary treatments had no effect on ether extract digestibility but birds on 0 % and 5 % ACSM diet significantly digested crude protein and crude fibre better than the 2.5 % ACSM diet. No significant (p>0.05) effect was observed on all the haematological and biochemical parameters investigated for the five dietary treatments. It is therefore concluded that ACSM contains potent anti-nutritional factors which are extremely toxic to broiler starter birds at whatever dietary inclusion level. So, there is the greatest need to detoxify the raw seed meal before it can be effectively incorporated into broiler starter diets.