RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL DIETS IN BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate growth performance and cost implication of broiler chickens fed commercial diets in Bauchi town of Bauchi state. Two hundred and twenty five day old chicks were assigned to five dietary treatments in replicates of three containing fifteen chicks each in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were supplied adlibitum and the experiment lasted for twenty eight days. Performance parameters which include daily feed intake, daily weight gain, final weight gain, total weight gain were studied. The final weight gain, total weight gain and daily weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. The highest values of final weight gain (1522.70g), total weight gain (1426.30g) and daily weight gain (50.94g) were obtained on diet 4, although did not differ from those fed diet 1. Total feed intake (2077.30-2203.70g), feed conversion ratio (1.54-1.74) and feed efficiency (0.58-0.66) were not affected (P>0.05) by the diets. The feed cost per kilogram body weight gain ranged between N 456.90 and N 485.04 with the lowest value obtained in broiler birds fed diet 2, hence recommended for broiler chicken production in the study area.