GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF BROILER STARTER CHICKENS FED DIETS CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF ALOE VERA (Aloe barbadensis) LEAF MEAL

Abstract

A research work was carried out to determine the impact of Aloe vera leaf meal on the growth performance and cost benefit analysis of broiler starter birds. A total number of ninety-six (96) day old ‘Agritech’ broiler birds were used for the research work. The birds were brooded for a week after which they were randomly distributed into four treatment groups of twenty-four each replicated three times with eight birds per replicate. Four different diets labelled T1, T2, T3 and T4 were formulated such that the Aloe vera leaf meal was incorporated at inclusion rate of 0.50 %, 1.00 % and 1.50 % in the diets respectively, while treatment 1 served as the control with 0 % level of Aloe vera leaf meal. Feed and water were given ad-libitum throughout the experimental period of twenty-one days. Proximate composition of the Aloe vera leaf meal had 93.58% dry matter, 6.42% moisture, 10.42% crude protein, 6.45% crude fiber, 2.03% ether extract, 18.77% ash and 55.91% carbohydrate. Birds on control diet were superior to birds in other treatments in terms of final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Thus, birds in treatment 1 (control) had better performance compared to birds fed diets containing aloe vera under review. Result for cost benefit analysis showed that birds in treatment 4 had a superior (P<0.05) benefit/profit of N 471.99 when compared to the control with N 440.47. From the results obtained it can be concluded that the inclusion of Aloe vera powder in the diet of broiler starter chickens up to the level of 1.50% can be tolerated by the birds. I therefore would recommend that the Aloe vera powder should be used in the diets of other poultry birds like layers, turkey, duck, geese, quail etc to determine the impart and effect in other birds. Also, that other methods of processing should be adopted