CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED SUPPLEMENTS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF DRY GUAVA (Psidium guajava) LEAF MEAL AS PHYTOGENIC ADDITIVE

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine characteristics of broiler chicken fed varying levels of dry guava (Psidium guajava) leaf meal (DGLM) as phytogenic additive. The study lasted or 8 weeks and was conducted at the University of Calabar Teaching and Research Farm, Cross River state. A total number of 180 unsexed day-old broiler chicks were used for the study. The birds were randomly distributed into four (4) dietary treatments designated as control (0 g), 450g, 500g and 550g dry guava leaf meal (DGLM) per 100kg basal diets with 45 birds per treatment, each treatment had 3 replicates, with 15 birds per replicate and were laid in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The test diets and water were given to the bird’s ad-libitum. The result of carcass characteristics showed that the levels of guava leaf meal supplementation did not significantly (p>0.05) influence the carcass and organ parameters measured. However, birds fed 550g DGLM had numerically higher live and dressed weight followed by those fed 500g DGLM/kg basal diet. This study suggests that the inclusion of DGLM in the feed of broiler birds does not have detrimental effect on their carcass characteristics.