PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED BITTER LEAF AND MORINGA LEAF MEAL BASED DIETS UNDER SINGLE PHASE FEEDING REGIME

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of feeding bitter leaf and moringa leaf meals based diets under single phase feed regime on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics and sensory evaluation of broiler chickens was investigated. One hundred and eighty Cobb 500 strains of day old chicks were sorted and randomly distributed to six dietary treatments. Each treatment was replicated thrice with ten birds per replicate in a completely randomized design experiment. The treatments were 0 % each of bitter leaf meal and moringa leaf meal for the control. Treatment 2 and 3 were 2 % bitter leaf meal and 2 % moringa leaf meal respectively. While Treatment 4 contained 2 % each of bitter leaf meal and moringa leaf meal. Treatments 5 and 6 contained 4 % bitter leaf meal and moringa leaf meal respectively. Results showed that feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio, apparent nutrient digestibility and carcass cuts part where all influenced by the dietary treatments (p<0.05). But birds on 2 % and 4 % moringa leaf meal diet performed better on feed intake and weight gain. While birds on 2 % combination of bitter leaf and moringa leaf meals had better feed conversion than other dietary treatments. Ash, either extract and NFE where influenced as birds on 2 % moringa leaf meal. Carcass cuts part were significantly influenced by bitter leaf and moringa leaf meals. However, sensory evaluation were not influenced by the dietary treatment. It could therefore be recommended that 4% moringa leaf meal be included in the diets of broiler chickens for better improved performance. The carcass characteristics indicate that birds fed 2 % of bitter leaf and 2 % of moringa leaf meals have the highest dressing percentage and also have the highest abdominal fat.Sensory evaluation indicated that all the meat were generally accepted in terms of colour, juiciness, flavor, aroma, tenderness and overall acceptability.