EFFECTS OF FEEDING DIETS CONTAINING VARYING LEVELS OF PEARL MILLET SUPPLEMENTED WITH ENZYME ON BROILER PERFORMANCE

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of feeding pearl millet supplemented with NatuzymeTM on the performance of broilers. A total of 150 2 –week old broilers of mixed sexes were randomly allocated to five diets in a completely randomized design. The broiler starter chicks were allocated one of five diets containing 0 (Control), 10.00, 20.00, 30.01 and 37.41% of pearl millet for diets A, B, C, D and E respectively. The starter diets were isonitrogenous (23% CP) but decreased in energy levels from 2,640.46 (Diet A), 2,608.64 (Diet B), 2,576.51 (Diet C), 2,544.36 (D) to 2,525.33kcal/kg ME (Diet E). The finisher diets were also isonitrogenous at 21% CP with each diet replicated three times. The finisher diets contained pearl millet at 0 (control), 10.64, 21.28, 31.92 and 39.29% in diets A, B, C, D and E respectively. The energy levels of the finisher diets decreased from 2656.47 (diet A) to 2530.80 kcal/kg ME (diet E). All diets containing pearl millet were supplemented with NatuzymeTM at 100g/100kg feed. Feed and water were administered ad libitum for six weeks. Overall result showed that feed intake (4.75, 4.57, 4.60, 4.61, 4.67kg), weight gain (2.21, 1.99, 1.87, 2.26, 2.16kg), feed conversion ratio (2.34, 2.31, 2.46, 2.07, 2.20) and feed cost per kg gain (N51.85, N52.33, N54.74, N45.20 and N46.74) were not significantly affected by the diets.. Therefore, pearl millet could be substituted in broiler diet at 100% granted the diet is supplemented with exogenous enzyme. Moreover, the diet with 100 percent pearl millet was cheaper than the control and it is recommended.