CARCASS YIELD AND ORGAN WEIGHTS OF BROILER FINISHER BIRDS FED DIETS CONTAINING DIFFERENT FAT SOURCES

Abstract

A four-week study was conducted to determine the effect of four different fat sources on carcass yield, organ weights and lipid profile of broiler finisher birds. One hundred and twenty day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into five groups of 24 birds each and assigned to five treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD). The dietary treatments consisted of 1% added fat from four different sources as follows: Tl, diet containing no oil; T2 diet containing 1% palm oil; T3, diet containing 1% soybean oil; T4, diet containing 1% palm kernel oil and T5, diet containing 1% groundnut oil. Each treatment was replicated three times with 8 birds per replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum to the birds. Results showed that live weight, carcass weight and dressing% of birds on T4 was significantly different (P<0.05) from all other treatments. Most of the internal organ-weights of birds on T4 and T1 were significantly (P<0.05) higher than in other treatments. The abdominal fat weight of birds on T4 was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those in the other treatment. It was concluded that addition of vegetable fat from palm kernel oil and groundnut oil in broiler diets enhanced carcass and organ weights of birds.