Effect of dietary levels of feather meal on digestibility, haematology and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens

Abstract

The effects of feeding graded levels of feather meal on digestibility, hematological parameters and carcass characteristic of broilers (Amo) chickens were evaluated. The feather meal was included at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% levels into diets T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively as replacement for fish meal. One hundred and fifty (150) four week Hover Marshal broiler strain were randomly assigned to five diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated three times with10 birds per replicate. At the end of the feeding trial, nine birds from each treatment were selected for digestibility, hematologicaland carcass characteristics. The nutrient digestibility of dry matter and ether extract were not significantly (P>0.05) different among the treatment groups while crude protein and crude fibre digestibility were affected (P<0.05). Broiler chickens fed diets containing 5% feather meal (diet T3) utilized better crude protein and crude fibre compared to those fed diet T5 (10% feather meal), but similar (P>0.05) to other treatments. Most of the hematological parameters were not affected (P>0.05%) by the feather meal inclusion level in the diets but only red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin(P<0.05). The haematological values were within the normal ranges of healthy broiler chickens. The carcass characteristicsindicated that drumstick, wings, head, spleen, heart, intestine and liver were not significantly (P>0.05) different among the treatment groups while others were (P<0.05) However, broiler chickens fed diet T5 recoded lowest values for most of the carcass parameters but other treatments were similar (P>0.05). It was concluded that up to 7.5% feather meal can replace fish meal without adverse effect on the digestibility, hematological and carcass parameters of broiler chickens.