Performance and biochemical parameters of broiler chickens fed avocado (Persea americana) seed meal based diet

Résumé

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of using Avocado seed meal (ASM) as a feed ingredient in broiler chickens feed. One hundred and twenty (120), one day-old cobb breed of broiler chickens were used. There were four (4) experimental diets with diet 1 (T1) serving as the control treatment with no inclusion of avocado seed meal (0.00). Diets 2,3 and 4 contained 0.50,1.00 and 1.50% inclusion of ASM, respectively. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three (3) replicates per treatment. Each treatment had 30 birds with 10 birds per replicate. There were significant (P<0.05) differences in final weight and average weight gain as T2 with 0.50% inclusion of ASM was significantly (P<0.05) higher for final weight (1338.33) and average weight gain (1290.33) than other treatments. While final weight (973.30) and average weight gain (925.33) in T4 with 1.50% inclusion of ASM was significantly lower. There was no significant difference among initial weight, feed intake and FCR. Among all the biochemical parameters observed, only magnesium and urea were significantly different. Mg content was significantly higher in T4 (32.33) and the least was observed in T1 (1.80) while urea content was significantly higher in T1 (1.80) and the least was observed in T3 (1.03). From the performance parameters that was obtained, it was recommended that 0.50% of ASM should be used for broiler production in terms of body weight.