Growth Performance and Internal Organs of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Unripe Plantain Peels Meal

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the dietary effect of graded levels of unripe plantain peel meal on the growth performance and internal organs of broiler chickens. One hundred and five (105) day-old unsexed Arbor Acre broiler chicks were used in a56-day feeding trial. The birds were assigned to 5 dietary treatments (T1- T5) with a total of 21 birds per treatment and replicated three times with 7 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). T1 was the control diet which contained 0% unripe plantain peels and 100% palm kernel cake, T2 contained 25% unripe plantain peels and 75% palm kernel cake, T3 contained 50% unripe plantain peels and 50% palm kernel cake, T4 contained 75% unripe plantain peels and 25% palm kernel cake while T5 contained 100% unripe plantain peelsand 0% palm kernel cake. Feed and water were given ad libitum for 8 weeks the experiment lasted.Resultsshowed that at the starter phase diets had a significant (P<0.05) effect on live weight, daily weight gain, and daily feed intake. During the finisher phase replacement of palm kernel cake with unripe plantain peels hadno significant (P>0.05) effect on daily protein intake, protein efficiency ratio and feed conversion. The performance of birds at both the starter and finisher phases decreased as the level of unripe plantain peel meal (UPPM) increased. Unripe plantain peels did not show negative effect on the liver, bile volume and the caecum but all other parameters for internal organs were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the diet. In conclusion, unripe plantain peel meal (UPPM) could conveniently replace 25% of Palm kernel cake in the diet of broiler chickens without any deleterious effect and is recommended. Keywords: Unripe plantain peels, Broiler Chicken, Palm Kernel Cake, Internal organs, Growth Performance DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/13-10-02 Publication date: May 31 st 2022