GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS ON ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF Lagenaria breviflora (SPOTTED PUMPKIN) FRUIT EXTRACT

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Lagenaria breviflora fruit extract on growth performance of broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and twenty fourteen-day old broiler chicks were divided into three treatments with four replicates and ten birds per replicate. The fresh fruits of Lagenaria
breviflora were chopped and added at the rate of 75 g/L and 125 g/L of hot water in for 72 hours. At the end of 72 hours, the chopped Lagenaria breviflora fruits were removed. Treatment one served as the control while birds in treatment two and three were served 75 g/L and 125 g/L of Lagenaria breviflora
fruit extract solution respectively for three days/week throughout the study period. Data collected were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in a complete randomized design (CRD). The results showed that there was no significant (P>0.05) effect on growth indices at starter phase except water intake where birds on 75 g/L group recorded the highest intake. Feed conversion ratio was the only growth parameter significantly (P<0.05) affected at finisher phase and the best FCR (2.07±0.06) was recorded from birds on 75 g/L. The study concluded that oral administration of Lagenaria breviflora fruit
extract up to 75 g/L concentration improved the feed conversion ratio and water intake.