Performance, egg quality, blood profiles and carcass indices of laying hens fed with alum-water processed <i>Icacinia manni</i> based diet

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the effect of Icacinia manni meal processed in alum water on performance, carcass, organs, egg quality characteristic, hematological and serum indices of laying hens. Freshly harvested I. manni tubers were washed, chopped into pieces, sun-dried and milled to produce sun-dried I. manni meal. The I. manni meal was soaked in alum-treated water, allowed to ferment for 72 hours. Thereafter, the meal was cooked for 1 hour, sun-dried, milled and sieved to produce I. manni alum-water fermented meal (IAFM). Three diets were formulated, diet I contained maize as the source of energy, diet 2 and 3 contained IAFM at 10  and 20 % levels respectively, replacing maize in the diets. 180 laying hens were used, each diet was fed to a group of 60 laying hens in a completely randomized design. Each group was subdivided into 3 replicates of 20 laying hens. The experiment lasted 12 weeks, data obtained were analyzed. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in feed intake, body weight changes, feed conversion ratio, egg production and egg weight values. Egg quality indices were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the treatment. All investigated blood profiles were not significantly (p>0.05) influence by the dietary treatment except the enzymes (ALP and AST). Dressed weight, live weight, dressing percentage, organs weights and abdominal fats were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the treatments. It was concluded that IAFM can be included in layer’s diet up to 20 % with no deleterious effects on the animal.

Keywords: Laying hens, Performance, Egg quality, Blood profiles, Carcass indices, Icacinia manni