Performance of broiler finishers fed toasted <i>Mucuna pruriens</i> seed meal

Abstract

A four-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of toasted Mucuna seed meal (TMSM) on the growth performance and the digestibility of nutrients by four week-old broiler finisher chicks. Three hundred and seventy five broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five experimental treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated thrice. TMSM was fed in graded levels of 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, and 40.0% alongside control diet of 0.0 TMSM. The parameters measured and calculated include final bodyweight, weight gain, feed intake, feed to gain ratio and feed cost per kilogram gain. Digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash and nitrogen free extract were also calculated. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the final body weight of birds at 0% and 10%, the weight gain at 0% and 10%, feed intake at 0% and 10% as well as feed to gain ratio at 0% and 10% levels of inclusion of TMSM were statistically (P>0.05) similar and higher than those from other levels of inclusions. Feed cost per kilogram weight gain and feed cost per bird were lower for all TMSM diets when compared to the control diet. Digestibility of nutrients (DM, CP, CF, EE, Ash and NFE) was similar and better for the birds fed the control and 10.0% TMSM. It was concluded that inclusion of TMSM in the diets of broiler finisher chicks up to 10% has beneficial effects.