THE CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERNAL ORGANS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED FERMENTED BAOBAB (ADANSONIA DIGITATA) SEED MEAL

I. Y. Gyang; F. B. P. Abang; P.  J. Damang; S. A. Ashom; I. Ajiji; S. A. Damter; A. J. Dastu; R. N.  Yakubu; P. G.  Pofwan

doi:10.51791/njap.vi.7014

Authors

I. Y. Gyang College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
F. B. P. Abang Federal University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
P. J. Damang College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
S. A. Ashom College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
I. Ajiji College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
S. A. Damter College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
A. J. Dastu College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
R. N. Yakubu College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.
P. G. Pofwan College of Agriculture, Garkawa, Plateau State, Nigeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7014

Keywords:

Broiler chickens, Baobab, fermentation, carcass, internal organs.

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine the carcass characteristics and internal organs of broiler chickens, fed fermented baobab (Adansonia digitata) seed meal (FBSM). The feeding trial was conducted at Dan-Agro Farm, a Sub-sidiary of Dan-Agro Products, located at Zawan, Jos-South Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Five (5) treatment diets were used for the experiment. T1 is the control while diets T2, T3, T4 and T5 contained 12 % inclusion levels of (FBSM) for 0, 48, 72 and 96hrs, respectively. A total of 240 one day old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were raised in a deep litter system and allotted five experimental diets, replicated four (4) times in a completely randomized design. Each replicate had 12 chicks of 48 chicks per treatment. At 8weeks old, two (2) broiler chickens from each replicate (n = 40) were randomly selected, weighed, slaughtered for the carcass and internal organ analysis. Carcass characteristics were not significantly (P<0.05) affected by dietary treatments. Dietary treatments had no significant (P>0.05) effect on internal organs, except on length of intestine. In conclusion, since the average live weight of chickens fed FBSM, ranged 1.96 – 2.22 kg/bird, a value within the recommended live weight 1.6 - 1.8 kg/bird. This suggested that baobab seed meal has potentials for use as a source of protein to produced broiler chicken to table
size.