GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND VISCERAL ORGANS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF MAIZE COB AS A FIBRE SOURCE

Abstract

This article evaluate the performance traits and visceral organs of broiler chickens fed with maize cob as source of fiber. A feeding trial was conducted using 150day old broiler chicks (Agrited) allotted into five treatments of three replicates each with 10 chicks per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Diet 1 contain wheat offal as the control, Diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contains 25, 50, 75 and 75 % Maize cob, respectively. Data Collection were processed and analyzed using SPPS version 20.0 and means that were significantly different were separated using Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (Duncan, 1955). The results obtained showed that there were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the initial weight among the treatment, from the feed intake, birds fed with 25% of maize cob had the highest average values in the parameters (3263.30g). The final weight of the birds fed the test ingredients showed that there was statistically significant difference between birds in T1and T5 group but T2 had the highest value (1400.00g) and the least final weight gain was recorded in T4 (1000.00g). Birds fed with (100%) of maize cob T5 recorded the highest percentage of mortality at 16.66% followed by T4 (13.33%) and T3 (10%) while T2 (25%) of maize cob recorded the least mortality at 3.33%. Also most of the parameters of visceral organs revealed no significant difference in the treatment groups. It was thus concluded that birds fed with (25%) of maize cob had the highest final weight gain and lowest mortality rate and as such can be used as an alternative source of fiber in broiler chicken’s diets.