GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS FED VARYING DIETARY LEVELS OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LEAF MEAL

Abstract

A four-week study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of broiler chicks fed varying dietary levels of Ocimum gratissimum leaf meal (OGLM). Ninety-six 14-day old unsexed commercial broiler chicks (Anak strain) were randomly divided into four treatment groups of 24 birds each in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments received varying levels of OGLM per 25 kg of feed as follows: treatment 1 (T1), 0g; treatment 2 (T2), 100g; treatment 3 (T3), 150g and treatment 4 (T4), 200g. Each treatment was replicated two times with 12 birds per replicate. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum to the birds. Results showed that significant (p < 0.05) differences existed among treatments There were significant (p<0.05) differences among treatments in daily feed intake (DFI), total feed intake (TFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), cost of daily feed intake (CDFI), cost of total feed intake (CTFI), and feed cost per kg weight gain (FC/kg). Birds fed diet containing 200g OGLM had significantly (p < 0.05) lowerDFI, FCR, CDFI, FC/kg gain, TFI and CTFI and higher PER values than those fed the control diet (0g OGLM). Dietary treatments had no significant (p>0.05) effects on the final body weights, total weight gains, daily weight gains and the mortality rates. It was concluded that up to 200g of OGLM can be included in 25kg broiler starter diet without deleterious effects on growth performance of birds.