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Effects of feeding varying levels of rice milling waste on the performance, nutrient retention and production economy of growing local turkeys.


G.N Nwoche
G.S Ojewola
A.H Akinmutimi

Abstract

A feeding trial was undertaken to evaluate the potential feeding values of Rice Milling waste as a substitute for maize in the diet of growing turkeys, the optimal substitution level for maize, and economic efficiency of substituting maize with rice milling waste, in the diets of growing turkeys. Five experimental diets were formulated by substituting maize with rice milling waste at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels respectively. One hundred local turkey poults brooded with commercial broiler starter mash were randomly assigned to the five treatment diets. Each treatment group was replicated two times having 10 poults per replicate. The trial was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The experiment lasted sixteen weeks. Parameters measured include economic indices, efficiency of feed utilization and growth performance (weight changes, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and percentage mortality). Results obtained showed that feeding growing turkeys with 50% rice milling waste produced enhanced performance that was next to the control in terms of mean final weight, final weight gain, best economic benefit and nutrient utilization efficiency while 100% substitution level gave the poorest value.

Keywords: Turkey poults, nutrient utilization, economic appraisal, and rice-milling waste.


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print ISSN: 0300-368X