PERFORMANCE AND HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF BROILER STARTER CHICKS FED GRADED LEVELS OF MUCUNA PRURIENS SEED MEALS

Abstract

A four week feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of boiled Mucuna seed meal (BMSM) on the growth performance of broiler starter chicks. To achieve this, three hundred (300) five-week old broiler starter chicks were randomly allocated to five experimental diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated three times having twenty birds per pen. Boiled Mucuna seed meal was prepared and fed in graded levels of 7.5, 15.0, 22.5, and 30.0 alongside, control. The parameters measured and calculated include final weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed to gain ratio and feed cost per kilogram gain. The heamatological parameters were measured. The results showed that dietary levels of inclusion of BMSM had significant (P<0.05)
effect on these parameters. The final weight, the weight gain and feed intake of the birds fed 0.0 and 7.5%BMSM were statistically (P>0.05) similar and significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of other treatments. Cost of feed per birds and feed cost per kilogram gain were lower for all BMSB diets. The
highest mortality rate was observed on birds fed 30%BMSM diet. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the treatment means for packed cell volume (PCV), heamoglobin (Hb) and Total protein (Tp). It was concluded that inclusion of BMSM in the diets of broiler starter chicks has beneficial effects.