EFFECT OF GRADED LEVELS OF PROCESSED NEEM (Azadirachta indica) LEAF AS FEED ADDITIVE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS TRAITS OF BROILER BIRDS

Abstract

A total number of 45 day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) each with three replicates of 5 chicks per replicate. The experimental diets were control diet (T1) containing 0 g/kg, while T2 and T3 were fed diets containing 0.5 g and 1.0 g/kg neem leaf respectively. The experiment lasted for 56 days.Results obtained showed that birds fed neem leaf supplemented diets had no significant (P<0.05) differences in weight gains between treatment. However, there was slightly (but not significant)higher body weight gain and superior feed conversion ratio than the birds fed 0 g of neem leaf additive diet. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) in the feed consumption of birds among the treatments groups but T3 recorded numerically the highest feed intake and highest cost of feeds per/kg body weight gain in this study because of the incorporation of neem leaf in the diet. The result of this study showedthat 1g/kg of neem leaf in broiler diets did improve growth performance and carcass yield. Therefore it can be a variable alternative to antibiotic growth promoter in feeding of broiler chicken with higher economic result to the poultry farmer.