Abstract:
This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of guar meal for conventional protein sources. Complete randomized block design (CRBD) was used in this experiment. Total number of 224, 7 days-old unsexed Ross-308 strain broiler chicks of approximately similar initial weight were randomly divided into 8 experimental groups with 4 replicates, each of 7 chicks. Eight iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric rations were formulated and allotted randomly to the 8 groups with guar meal as unconventional protein source was incorporated in broiler diets by replacing groundnut cake at 0, 33, 66 and 100% with and without dietary commercial enzyme (xylam500). Chicks were fed for 6 weeks. Experimental parameters covered performance, carcass yield meat quality and economic appraisal.
No apparent health ill effects were recorded on guar meal feeding at all levels of replacement but, live weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency values were decreased significantly (P<0.05) in descending order as the level of guar meal increased in the diets. The enzyme addition had no significant (P<0.05) effect on the body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency, in all treatment groups whereas, the feed intake was increased significantly (P<0.05) at all dietary treatment groups by enzyme addition but, the groups fed on guar meal were still significantly (P<0.05) below the control group in feed intake values.
The results indicated that there were no significant differences among all treatment groups in the percent of carcass dressing, giblets, commercial cuts and their percent of separable meat, meat chemical composition and subjective meat quality parameters of broiler chicks.
The result of economical evaluation showed that as the level of guar meal with or without enzyme supplementation increased in the diets the profitability ratio decreases in broiler production.
