Performance of laying birds fed diets containing forage meal of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl A. Gray) and antibiotics

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of the forage meal of Tithonia  diversifolia with or without antibiotic on the laying performance and egg quality of birds for a period of eleven weeks. T. diversifolia is also known as wild sunflower leaf. Wild sunflower leaf meal (WSFLM) was incorporated in the diets at 75g/kg (basal diet). Streptomycin and penicillin were   added to basal diet at 100 ppm each. Mixture of penicillin and streptomycin, each at 100 ppm added to the fourth diet. Control diet neither contained WSFLM nor antibiotic. The results of weekly performance at first week of the study, showed that there were significant (P<0.01) increases  for egg production, hen day production and feed efficiency  for birds fed diets containing WSFLM,  while egg weight and feed intake were not affected. Haugh Unit (P <0.05) and egg breadth (P <0.01) 8^th week, whereas food consumption at second (P <0.05), fourth and fifth weeks (P <0. 01) were all significantly influenced by the dietary treatments. Yellow pigmentation of egg yolks was significantly (P <0.01) enhanced by WSFLM throughout 77 days. The summary of the data at the end of the study indicated that WSFLM significantly (P <0.01) enhanced egg. Weight, egg production,  Egg yolk and hen day production (P < 0.05). Control birds and those fed basal diets with antibiotic significantly (P <0.05) retained protein and ether extract than those fed basal diet. Supplementation of basal diet with either penicillin or streptomycin positively affected the egg production and egg weight at 77th day, whereas the mixture of the two antibiotics adversely affected the performance of the birds. It is therefore advisable that WSFLM at 75 g kg-1 in combination with either penicillin or streptomycin at 100ppm may be included in the diet of laying birds