GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH Senna alata LEAF MEAL

Abstract

A 42 -day feeding trial to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Senna alata leaf meal on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. 200 day old Abor acre plus broiler chickens were used for the experiment in a completely randomized design. The birds were allotted into five dietary treatments of 40 birds each and were replicated five times with eight birds per replicate. Treatment 1 was the control, it had no dietary supplementation of Senna alata leaf meal. Treatment 2, 3, 4 and 5 had inclusion levels of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0g/kg dietary supplementation of Senna alata leaf meal respectively. Data were collected on feed intake and weight changes; feed conversion ratio was derived. At the end of the feeding trial, two birds per replicates were weighed and their carcass characteristics assessed and recorded as relatives of live weights. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance. Results of the experiment showed significant difference in the average daily weight gain with birds fed diets containing 1.0g/kg Senna alata leaf meal having the highest value of 43.68g/b/d while birds fed 2.0g/kg Senna alata leaf meal had the least value of 36.19g/b/d. There was also significant difference (P<0.05) with the birds fed diets containing 1.0g/kg having the highest value for eviscerated, breast, thigh and liver weights. It was concluded that the inclusion of Senna alata leaf meal as supplements in broiler diets aided positive growth performance and carcass characteristics of the broiler chickens.