Effect of moringa oleifera leaf meal inclusion in cassava chip based diets fed to poultry
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Date
2009
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal
(MOLM) as a feed ingredient in cassava chip (CC) based diets fed to broilers and
layers. The broiler experiments consisted of a feeding trial, digestibility trial, carcass
analysis, haematological evaluation and sensory evaluation. Seven treatments (T)
comprising of a control diet (Tl), T2. T3, T4 (20% C with 0%, 5%, 10% MOLM)
and T5. T6. T7 (30% C with 0%. 5%. 10% MOLM) were fed to 378 broiler chicks.
A reduction in performance was observed with increasing inclusion level of MOLM
beyond 5%. Birds on T3 did not differ significantly (P>0.05) in terms of weight
gain (46.20 - 49.56g/day), feed conversion ratio (2.57 - 2.84), final body weight
(2365- 2569g), feed intake (127.9 - 130.4g) and feed cost per kilogram weight gain
(501.4 - 555.0 TSH) from those on Tl, T2 and T5 diets. Digestibility results had to
be discarded due to their unreliability. Dietary treatments significantly (P<0.05)
affected live weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, abdominal fat and bone
percentages though T3 did not differ (P>0.05) from Tl, T2 and T5. Lean, heart,
liver and gizzard percentages differed insignificantly (P>0.05).
Haematological
parameters were generally not influenced (P>0.05) by treatment except for white
blood cells.
Addition of MOLM improved meat acceptability. The layer
experiments consisted of 80 birds randomly assigned to four diets consisting of a
control (TL1) diet containing neither CC nor MOLM and MOLM at 0%, 5% and
10% in combination with 20% C (TL2, TL3, TL4).
Feed intake, feed conversion
ratio, albumen and yolk percentage were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by
the inclusion of MOLM. The highest (P<0.05) egg weight and Roche colour score
were obtained from non control groups with 63.31g from TL3 and 7.79 from TL4
respectively. Feed cost per kilogram (190.6-214.8TSH) and feed cost per kilogram
egg (536.3-588.7TSH) significantly declined (P<0.05) with inclusion of MOLM.
Addition of 10% MOLM in combination with 20% CC resulted in a 21.96% and
12.06% decline in scrum and yolk cholesterol levels respectively.
General
acceptability of the cooked eggs was highest from TL4 group. Results of these
investigations indicate that broilers and layers can be safely fed MOLM up to levels
of 5% and 10% respectively in cassava based diets without deleterious effects.
provided CC docs not exceed 20%. Cassava in the form of chips is a good form of
poultry feeding and the inclusion of MOLM enhances both meat and egg products
by producing carcasses with reduced abdominal fat, improving meat acceptability
and egg qualities due to its enhanced yolk colour, reduced cholesterol and cost of
producing eggs.
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Keywords
Moringa oleifera, Poultry, Cassava