CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BROILER CHICKEN MEAT FLOSS FED DIETS CONTAINING VARYING ENERGY LEVELS

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the chemical composition of meat floss prepared from broiler chickens fed diets containing varying energy levels. A total of 270 day old broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allocated to three treatments (A, B and C) of ninety birds per treatment, each treatment having three replications of thirty birds. Three experimental diets comprising three energy levels of 2, 400 (A); 2, 600 (B) and 2, 800 ME Kcal/Kg (C) were formulated and fed to the chickens. The crude protein of the starter and finisher diets were fixed at 24 and 20%, respectively. At the end of 8th weeks, 3 birds were randomly taken from each replication which were used for the preparation of meat floss. Triplicate samples of the raw and chicken meat floss were analysed for moisture, crude protein, ash and ether extract. Data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using the General Linear Model Univariate Procedure of SPSS 17.0 and significant differences of means were compared using LSD at 5% level of probability. Results showed that the raw meat of broiler chickens fed diet containing 2, 800 Kcal/kg has the highest values of ash and crude protein while that fed diet containing 2, 400 Kcal/kg has the highest ether extract value. Meat floss of birds fed diet containing 2, 400 Kcal/kg has the highest mean values of ash and moisture. In conclusion there was noticeable increase in the nutrient profile of the chicken meat floss over their raw counterparts.