GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS FED VARYING LEVELS OF RUMEN FILTRATE-FERMENTED EARTH BALL (ICACINIA MANNI) MEAL DIETS

Abstract

The research was designed to evaluate the feeding value of rumen filtrate fermented Icacinia manni (earth ball) meal on broiler chicks. The rumen filtrate was prepared by submerging fresh rumen digesta obtained from the rumen of cattle, immediately after slaughtering in water on capped plastic container at the rate of 1kg of digesta /litre of water. The mixture was centrifuged vigorously using a metal rod for 5 minutes, residue filtered and the filtrate incubated for 72 hours under room temperature (24°C; The incubated filtrate was used to ferment the peeled earth ball for 48hours. The fermented sample was drained and sundried prior to proximate analysis and feed formulation. Five broiler starter diets were formulated with Diet I designated as control, while diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 had maize in the control diet replaced with I. manni meal. A total of one hundred and fifty (150), day-old broiler chicks were divided into five (5) groups of 30 chicks per group, with each group assigned to one of the experimental diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). The proximate composition showed that I. manni meal was inferior to maize in its crude protein content but better than maize and cassava meal in ash and ether extract composition. The weights of birds decreased significantly with the increasing levels of the I. manni in the diets. Birds fed control diet recorded the highest average daily feed intake. The cost per kg of feed reduced with increase in dietary level of the rumen filtrate fermented I. manni meal. Birds fed control diet had the highest cost of feed consumed; while birds on 60% processed I. manni meal had the least cost/kg. It was concluded that rumen filtrate fermented I. manni can replace up to 30% of maize in broiler starter's diet.