Effects of Enzyme Supplementation of Raw Bambara Nut (<em>Vigna Subterranea</em> (L) Verdc) Waste Diets on Nutrient Utilization and Haematological Parameters of Broiler Finishers

Abstract

A 4-week study was conducted to investigate the effects of graded levels of raw Bambara nut waste (RBW) and supplementary enzyme (Roxazyme G) on nutrient utilization and hematological parameters of broiler finishers. Ninety-six 6-week old broiler birds were randomly divided into 8 groups of 12 birds each. The groups were randomly assigned to 8 energetic (11.48 - 12.20 MJ of ME/kg) and nitrogenous (20.09 - 20.43% crude protein) diets in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement involving four levels (0, 10, 15 and 20%) of RBW and 2 enzyme levels (0 and 0.02%). Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 4 birds per replicate. During week 4 of the experiment, a seven-day excreta collection from three birds per treatment was carried out to determine the apparent retention of the proximate components. Three birds were also randomly selected from each treatment group (one bird per replicate), and blood samples collected from them for hematological determination. The retention of dry matter (DM), nitrogen, crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extract (NFE) and gross energy (GE) differed significantly (p<0.05) among treatments. Although there were no significant (p>0.05) differences among treatments in mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration(MCHC) and mean cell volume(MCV), significant (p<0.05) differences existed among treatments in hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC) and white blood cell count (WBC). The RBC, Hb and PCV values decreased, while the WBC increased with increasing levels of RBW in the diets. The study showed that up to 20% of raw Bambara nut waste supplemented with 200 mg/kg Roxazyme G can be included in the diet of broiler finishers without any deleterious effects on their nutrient utilization and hematological parameters.