PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER FINISHER CHICKEN FED GRADED LEVELS OF ZIZIPHUS-MAURITIANA FRUIT MEAL

B. J. Mufwa, Donald D.K,A.A. Maigari &I.D. Helen

Department of Animal Production

College of Agriculture Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.

Email: mufwa@yahoo.com

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ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted to investigate the replacement of maize with Ziziphus-Mauritiana fruitmeal in broiler finisher diet. One hundred and twenty anak 2000 broiler were used for the study, four diets were formulated using ZMFM at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% in the diets respectively. The birds were randomly allotted to dietary treatment in a completely randomized design. Each treatment consists of thirty birds with ten birds per replicate. The experiment lasted for four weeks.Feed and water were given ad-Libitum. Data were collected on daily feed intake, average daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass characteristics were also measured.Result revealed that broiler finisher fed 5% (ZMFM) were statistically higher (P˂0.05) in final weight than the birds fed 10% and 15% of the diet. The weight of the birds on control diet was slightly lower than that fed 5% diet. Result of average daily weight gain proved that at increasing levels of (ZMFM) the birds did not follow the trend of weight gain (P˂0.05) although the birds fed 5% (ZMFM) gained more weight.Results also showed that average daily feed intake did not differ (P˂0.05) significantly between the birds fed the different levels of (ZMFM) and the control diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broiler finisher differ (P˂0.05) significantly among the different6 treatment levels. However, no mortality was recorded. Results of carcass characteristics of broiler finisher fed graded levels of (ZMFM) revealed significantly (P˂0.05) differences in live weight, dressed weight, and thigh, drumstick and leg percent. However, the eviscerated weight, breast, back, wings, neck, head percent of live weight were not significantly (P˂0.05) different. Visceral organs of birds were statistically (P˂0.05) different in lungs percent of live weight, while all other visceral organs measured were not different. It was concluded that (ZMFM) can replace maize at 5% for better performance of broiler finisher.

Keywords: Performance, Carcass, Ziziphus-Maritiana Fruit Meal, Broiler Finisher.