Effect of graded levels of Awara (A soy-food) waste on feed intake, growth performance, and carcass yield of broiler chickens

Abstract

Large quantity of Awara waste (or residue) is generated in most parts of Nigeria year round and little or no economic importance attached to it. This study was designed to determine the effect of graded levels of Awara waste (AW) on feed intake, growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens. Four hundred kilogram (400 kg) AW was collected and allowed to dry under a shade and milled. It was incorporated into 5 isonitrogenous and isocaloric starter and finisher diets (designated as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) in which the content of soybean meal was substituted with Awara waste by 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% respectively. Two hundred day-old broiler chickens of ROSS 308 strain were used. They were randomly distributed into the five dietary treatments. Each treatment had 40 birds with 4 replicates of 10 birds each. The design used was completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Required management practices were strictly observed. The experiment lasted 42 days. Birds fed 0% and 5% AW significantly (p<0.05) had highest final weight, total weight gain and daily weight gains; low daily feed intake and total feed intake; and had best feed conversion ratio followed by those fed 10% in most cases while those fed 15% and 20% had lowest growth indices and feed intake as well as poorest feed conversion ratio. Similarly, the birds fed 0% and 5% AW significantly (p<0.05) had highest dressed weight followed by those fed 10% while those fed 15% and 20% again had lowest. The entire cut parts and organs’ weights were not significantly different (p>0.05) by the treatments. Also, the proximate composition of the experimental diets was significantly similar (p>0.05) among treatments. The contents of protein, ether extract and nitrogen free extract in the faeces increased with increased AW in the diets. Treatments T3, T4 and T5 had higher protein, ether extract and nitrogen free extract in the faeces while T1 and T2 had lower. Birds fed T1 and T2 had higher digestibility while those fed T3, T4 and T5 had lower. It can be concluded that soybean meal can be substituted with AW by 5% without deleterious effect on feed intake, growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens.