Response of Starter Broiler Chicks Fed Varying Dietary Levels of Palm Kernel Meal

Abstract

A

28–day feeding trial involving one hundred and twenty one week old Anak broiler chicks was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying dietary levels of palm kernel meal on the performance of broiler starter birds. The broiler chicks divided into 5 groups of 24 birds each. Each group was subdivided into 4 replicates of 6 birds each and the birds were randomly assigned to treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. The birds were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and weekly thereafter. Experimental diets and water were provided ad-libitum. The chicks were fed diets containing varying levels of palm kernel meal at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40.0%. The results of the experiment showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) inaveragefinalliveweight,averagedailyfeedintake,averagedailygainandcostofproducingakilogramweightgain. Non- significant differences (p>0.05) were obtained in feed conversion ratio among birds fed the treatment diets. The results of this trial suggest that palm kernel meal could be incorporated in diets of broiler starter birds up to 20% level without any adverse effect on performance of the birds.