RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED LOW CRUDE PROTEIN, LOCAL GROUNDNUT CAKE BASED DIETS WITH THREONINE SUPPLEMENTATION

Abstract

A 28-day study was carried out to determine the effect of increasing levels of threonine (Thr) in low crude protein (CP), local groundnut cake based diet of broiler chickens on carcass characteristics. A total of 200, three weeks old broilers were randomly allocated to five treatments of four replicates of 10 birds each. Two basal diets comprising of 21% and 18% CP levels as positive (PC) and negative (NC) control diets, respectively, were formulated. The remaining three diets comprised of NC diet containing supplemental Thr at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%. On day 28, three birds per replicate were selected for carcass and organ evaluation, data collected were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA in completely randomized design. Results showed that birds fed PC diet had higher (P < 0.05) live weight followed by those on 0.4 and 0.6% Thr supplemented NC diets than those fed NC diet. The breast and drumstick yield of birds fed PC, 0.4 and 0.6% Thr-NC diets were heavier (P<0.05) than those on NC and 0.2% Thr-NC diets. Abdominal fat yield increased (P<0.05) in birds fed NC diet than those fed PC, 0.4% and 0.6% Thr-NC diet. Decreasing dietary protein content from 21 to 18% reduced the live weight and carcass prime cut-parts of broilers from 21 to 49 days of age. Therefore, Thr supplementation at minimum level of 0.4% is required to improve carcass attributes of broiler chickens fed low protein, local groundnut cake based diets