PREFORMANCE OF PULLETS FED HIGH-FIBRE DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH VARYING LEVELS OF DRIED YEAST

Abstract

One hundred pullets at point of lay were used to study the effect of five levels of yeast supplementation on high- fibre (rice bran) diets on egg production and egg characteristics. The birds were divided into five treatments (T1 to T5) of 20 birds per treatment. Each treatment was replicated twice, with each replicate containing 10 birds. Birds in the control treatment (T1) were fed 0.00% yeast supplement while 73, T1 and T5 had 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00% yeast respectively. Eggs were collected twice daily, counted and weighed for twelve weeks. Three eggs of the current week's collection per replicate were randomly picked for egg quality analysis fortnightly. The result obtained showed there were significant effects (p<0.05) m body weight, egg weight and albumen weight in which pullets in treatment 4 performed best. Birds fed high fibre diet supplemented with 0.75% yeast performed better than the control (T1) and other levels (0.25, 0.50, 1.00%) with respect to body weight, egg weight and albumen weight.