PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, AND BLOOD METABOLITES OF BROILER CHICKENS FED BITTERLEAF (Vernonia amygdalina Del.) LEAF MEAL AS FEED ADDITIVES

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to determine the nutritional value of bitterleaf meal (BLM). A feeding trial was also conducted using broiler chickens, to evaluate the effects of BLM on the performance, nutrient digestibility, some blood metabolites as well as carcass characteristics when used in broiler starter and finisher diet as an additive. The economy of feed conversion in relation to weight gain of the broiler chickens was also studied at the starter and finisher phase. Four diets were tested. Diet 1 contained no leafmeal and was the control, Diet 2 contained BLM at 2.5% inclusion level, Diet 3 contained BLM at 5.0% inclusion level and Diet 4 contained BLM at 7.5% inclusion level. At the starter phase, the chicks on Diet 4 had the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) and also the best save economically while at the finisher phase, the birds on Diet 3 had the best FCR and the best economical save. At both phases though, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in weight gain. While Diet 4 caused a drop in the blood glucose level of the birds fed on it, it also caused an increase in the blood albumin level. The birds fed on Diet 1 had the least blood albumin level and the highest blood glucose level. Also, the organs observed had no significant (P>0.05) difference across the birds on the various diets except kidney and liver showed slight difference significantly (P<0.05). The dress percentage showed no significant (P>0.05) difference across the treatments, but Diet 4 had the highest value. Likewise, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference across the commercial cuts for the birds slaughtered from each treatment fed the various diets, except in the wings (right and left). The nutrient digestibility of the chicks at the starter phase showed significant (P<0.05) differences across the various treatments, with the chicks fed on the control diet (Diet 1) digesting more of the nutrients than the other chicks fed on the diets containing the leafmeal. At the finishing phase, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the digestibility of nutrients across the various treatments except in crude fibre digestibility where the birds fed the control recorded the highest retention of fibre. It was concluded from the study that bitterleaf meal, BLM, can be added as an additive in broiler diet to improve production as well as the carcass value of birds.