REPRODUCTIVE MORPHOMETRY CHARACTERISTICS OF LAYING BIRDS FED DIETARY LEVEL OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE

Abstract

The Federal University of Technology, Akure's teaching and Research Farm's poultry section served as the study's location. A total of 144 Isa Browns, aged 16 weeks, were acquired from Amo hatchery. After being fed commercial grower mash until they were 22 weeks old, or 20% of laying performance, they were given the experimental diets for sixteen weeks. At the start of the study, the pullets were weighed and then randomly assigned to one of the experimental diets that included 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, or 1.25g/kg of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). With six birds per replication, each treatment was duplicated four times in a totally randomized design. The birds were managed under the standard procedures. Feed consumption and weight gain and live weight of birds at the last week of the experiment were recorded while feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS). The entire reproductive tracts of the slaughtered and eviscerated birds were removed and examined. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in weight of entire reproductive tract (ERT), weight of ovary, infundibulum length, isthmus length and vagina length. Numerically, treatment Chad heaviest ERT (132.83± 4.14g) and ovary (34.73± 3.10g) while lightest ERT (115.97±17.59g) and ovary (26.87± 6.03g) were observed in treatment A and B respectively. Significant (P<0.05) differences were observed in magnum and uterus length. The longest (16.10±2.59cm) and shortest (9.43±0.44cm) magnum length were observed in treatment D and A respectively. It was observed that as the level of monosodium glutamate in the diet increased, uterus length decreased.