PERFORMANCE OF ISA BROWN COCKEREL CHICKS FED VARYING NUTRIENT DENSE DIETS

Abstract

Eight weeks feeding trial was carried out using a total of 300 day old Isa brown cockerel chicks to evaluate the effect of feeding varying nutrient dense mashes. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with three treatments consisting of three diets viz; high nutrient dense mash, medium nutrient dense mash and low nutrient dense mash with each treatment replicated four times with 25 cockerels per replicate. Feed intake and live weight gain were measured. Body weight of the birds was measured at the beginning, weekly intervals and end of the experiment. Feed conversion ratio was determined. Data generated were subjected to statistical analysis. The result of the performance of cockerel chick fed different diets is shown in table 2. All parameters considered were significantly affected by the dietary treatments with the exception of initial weight. The results of the study showed
that final weight and weight gain of the cockerel chicks fed high and medium nutrient dense mashes were similar (P>0.05) but both higher (P<0.05) than that of chicks fed low nutrient dense mash. The chicks fed the low nutrient mash had the highest feed intake followed by those fed the high nutrient mash and then those fed the medium nutrient mash. Feed conversion ratio was similar (P>0.05)) for chicks fed high and medium nutrient dense mashes and superior (P<0.05) to that chicks fed the low nutrient dense mash. Feed intake per kg gain was higher and hence inferior (P<0.05) for both chicks fed high and low nutrient dense mashes compared to that of chicks fed the medium nutrient dense mash. The results of this study showed that feed type affected the performance of cockerel chicks. Medium nutrient dense mash performed better in terms of FCR and feed cost per kg gain. It is therefore recommended that Isa brown cockerel chicks should be fed a medium nutrients dense mash which is similar to the chick mash (laying birds early rearing diet).