GROWTH RESPONSE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF FINISHER BROILER CHICKEN FED SWEET POTATO (Ipomea Batatas) LEAF MEAL AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR SOYA BEAN

Abstract

A four-week feeding trial was conducted with one hundred and twenty-eight unsexed Ross 308 (Agrited Strain) broiler chicken to evaluate the effect of feeding sweet potato leaf meal (SPLM) as partial replacement for soya bean on the growth performance, carcass and internal organs characteristics of broiler chicken. Four experimental diets were formulated with SPLM partially replacing soya bean at 0, 10, 20 and 30% in the diet and tagged as diets 1 (control), 2, 3 and 4 respectively, for finisher (20%CP) phase. The birds were randomly allotted to the dietary treatments with four replications of 32 birds per treatment in a completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. At the end of the feeding trial, eight birds per treatment were selected for carcass and internal organs characteristics. Results showed that daily weight gain was influenced by the dietary treatment 23.10 – 50.24; P<0.001), FCR was also affected (2.39 - 4.79; P<0.05). However, daily feed intake was not influenced by the dietary treatments. All the carcass and internal organs parameters measured were not significantly (P>0.05) affected and did not follow a definite pattern. Therefore, it can be concluded that inclusion of SPLM in finisher broiler chickens’ diet at 10% has no adverse effects on the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken.