GROWTH RESPONSE OF BROILER STARTER CHICKENS FED BLOOD MEAL BASED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ALLZYME SSF® AS REPLACEMENT FOR FISHMEAL

Abstract

The growth response of broiler starter chickens fed blood meal-based diets with Allzyme SSF® supplementation (BMA) as replacement for fishmeal (FM) was investigated. One hundred and eighty (180) day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 12 pens (15 birds per pen). Four iso-nitrogenous and isocaloric diets were formulated. Treatment 1, was the control (without blood and fish meal). Treatment 2 contains 10% fish meal without blood meal (BM). Treatment 3 contains 5% BM with 100g Allzyme SSF® and 5%FM. Treatment 4 contains 10% BM with 100g Allzyme SSF® without FM. The four diets (replicated three times) were randomly allocated to the pens of broilers for 28 days. Daily feed intake of birds on 10% FM, 5% FM +5% BMA, `10% BMA were similar but significantly higher (P<0.05) than those on control diet. Daily weight gain (g/bird per day) of birds on 10% FM, 5% FM +5% BMA, `10% BMA were similar but significantly higher (P<0.05) than those on control. The feed to gain ratio between birds on the different diets were similar (P>0.05) to the control group. The result on feed cost of producing a kilogram of broiler shows that it is economically cheaper to produce a kilogram of broiler for birds on either 10% BMA or 10% FM diets compared to the control numerically. From this study, blood meal supplemented with Allzyme SSF can adequately replace fish meal in the diets of broiler starters