POULTRY FEEDS: COMPARE THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS FEEDS | COMMERCIAL AND HOME MADE FEED

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Frustration and unfulfilment awaits a vision and ambition without a motivator, but a little encouragement and idea brings out the best in an individual. Obviously, numbers of people have been used by God to make this report work a success. Based on this, I wish to express my sincere will deserve gratitude and appreciation to them. Truly some contributed directly and others indirectly to the success of this report.

ABSTRACT
This trial to assess the quality of two broilers feed types: commercial feed and homemade feed, was conducted to determine their nutrient content, growth rates and feed efficiency of broiler birds. Fifty-six day old chicks were used for the experiment. The chicks were divided into two groups, commercial feed; 28 birds and homemade feed; 28 birds. The birds were reared in two separate pens at the Poultry Unit of Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University for 56 days. The live weight gain and feed efficiency were better in birds fed commercial feed as compared to birds fed homemade feed. 

The parameters measured were as follows. The average initial body weight for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 122.5 and 120, average final body weight for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 2800 and 2025, average total weight gain for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 2657 and 1905, average weekly weight gain for commercially fed bird and homemade fed bird were 332.19 and 237.81, average daily weight gain for commercially fed bird and homemade fed bird were 47.46 and 34.02, average total feed intake for commercially fed bird and homemade fed birds were 6795 and 6611.5, average weekly feed intake for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 849.38 and 826.44, average daily feed intake for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 121.34 and 118.06, and the feed conversion ratio for commercially fed birds and homemade fed birds were 2.56 and 3.48 respectively. The two-sample t-test suggests that there is a significant difference (p<0.05) between the two treatment birds. This suggests that commercial feed is of high quality than homemade feed. This is due to high crude protein content, good feeding value, and overall quality of commercial feed when compared to homemade feed.    


CHAPTER ONE
1.0                                                  INTRODUCTION
Poultry and other livestock feeding is expensive as it takes 65-75% of the total cost of production (Tewe and Kasali, 1986). This is so because of the high cost of conventional feed resources like maize, soybean, groundnut cake that are used in producing animal feed (Amaefule and Obioha, 2005). Maize most often, constitutes the highest proportion of ingredient in the diet formulation of any poultry ration (Agbede et al., 2002). This high inclusion rate translates into high cost of feed because of seasonality of maize production and competition for it by man and livestock (Agbede et al., 2002).
Preston (1995) reported that one of the major challenges to researchers in the tropic is providing alternative feed resources for monogastrics.
According to Okoye (2002), poultry production in Nigeria is affected by high cost of feedstuffs. Shittu et al., (2004) stated that although some alternative feed resources have been discovered to be useful but that there is need to have adequate knowledge of them and their composition. One of the potential alternative feedstuffs is cassava, a wonder plant with all its parts useful in feeding poultry and livestock (Tewe and Manner, 1977). Cassava is a major source of low cost carbohydrates for populations in the
humid tropics. The fleshy root is consumed, while the peels which accounts for between 10-13% of the tuber by weight (Tewe et al., 1997) is left to rot away in refuse dumps. A lot of research works have been done to define the optimum level of cassava in animal diet and to modify the plant’s chemical and physical properties that restrict its use (Montilla et al., 1976). Cassava peel meal, an alternative feed resource as energy source has potential that can be exploited. However, as cassava ration contains cyanide, the cassava peel meal has to be treated in order to enhance its utilization as a substitute for maize in feed formulation of poultry rations. Much of the research works done to date on the use of cassava and other agro-industrial by-products and their wastes for monogastrics have concentrated on their utilization in terms of growth and production levels (Agunbiade et al., 2001) with limited data on the characterization of the energy values of these valuable ingredients.
          Another potential alternative feedstuffs with high nutrient potential is the bambara  seed (Vigna Subterranean (L) verdc) offal. The bambaranut (seed) is an under-utilized tropical legume that is indigenous to Africa. It grows in areas where the cultivation of other legumes such as groundnut is too risky due to poor soil conditions or there is threat of drought. It yields as much as 3-5 tons/hectare under this condition (Bamford, 1984). Oyenuga (1982) and Uwuegbute (1978) described Bambaranut as a legume crop which contains higher crude protein than many other legume grains andtherefore recommend its incorporation in livestock feeds. Carbohydrates accounts for approximately 45% of the total dry seed weight and has a lipid content of 6-8% (Poulter, 1981). Bambara seed offal is a sievate after extracting the flour for human use and it has no industrial use. The supplementation of enzyme and other probiotics are known to improve the digestibility and utilization of feed ingredients by livestock thereby increasing productivity (Silva et al., 2000).
          Also another potential feedstuff is maize-chaff. Maize is a cereal crop that is grown widely throughout the world and generally consumed by Nigerians than any other grains (IITA, 2009). It can be eaten after cooking or smoking and can also be converted into animal feeds. The wastes of maize which are left behind after harvest include the husks, chaff, stalks and the leaves (Oseni and Ekperigin 2007). Maize chaff constitute of 25.55% moisture content, 1.03% ash, 3.72% fibre, 0.61% protein, 1.43% fat and 75.85% carbohydrate (Oseni and Ekperigin 2007).
          The conventional feedstuffs, maize, groundnut, and soybeans are also used as major human food and industrial raw materials. Maize is a multi purpose farm product in Nigeria serving not only as staple food for a large proportion of Nigerians but also as a major raw materials for the beer brewing industries among others. Consequently, the quantities required have become difficult to source and when available, prices are very prohibitive. Soybean meal has been reported to be scarce and expensive while groundnut cake has been reported to have aflatoxins (MC Donald et al., 1998). Agunbiade et al., (2002a) reported that in order for the unconventional feed resources to be utilized with great economic efficiency, knowledge of the dietary energy value must be obtained.
            To ameliorate this high cost of feed, there is need for research into utilization of farm wastes which are readily available and affordable to reduce the feed cost and increase production.

OBJECTIVES
1.         To compare the growth performance of broilers fed commercial and home made feed.
2.         To determine the economy of production of the broilers fed with the diets.

1.2       JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
Poultry production in Nigeria has been facing lots of problems particularly high cost of production arising from ever increasing costs of feeds. The price of conventional feedstuffs is increasing daily due to high demand (Omole, 2011). The conventional feedstuffs, maize, groundnuts, and soybeans are also used as major human food and industrial raw materials. Maize is a multi purpose farm product in Nigeria serving not only as staple food for a large proportion of Nigerians but also as a major raw material for the beer brewing industries among others. Consequently, theprices of these conventional feedstuffs have become difficult to source and when available prices are very prohibitive.    Most of the unconventional feedstuffs consists of anti-nutrients that are potentially harmful and gives rise to a genuine concern for human and animal health in that they prevent digestion and absorption of nutrients, they may not be toxic as such, but can reduce the nutritional value of the feedstuffs causing a deficiency in essential nutrients (Prathibha et al., 1995). For instance, cassava and some other plants, have anti-nutritional factors like cyanogenic glycosides, saponin, phytate, oxalate, enzyme inhibitors and total alkaloids.
             This has brought about the quest to search for an alternative feed stuffs which are readily available and affordable to reduce the feed cost and increase production.

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