Optimum replacement level of the soybean meal for processed horse eye bean meal (<i>Mucuna urens</i>) in the broiler finisher diet

Abstract

The high cost of broiler production in Nigeria has been attributed to overdependence on the most expensive conventional protein sources. Hence the need to source for alternative but promising feedstuffs. A 28- day feeding trial was therefore conducted to determine the feeding processed horse eye bean meal (HEBM) in finisher broiler ration.Six experimental diets were formulated. Diet 1 was the control, while various quantities of HEBM was used to replace soy bean meal (SBM) in the control diet at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75% for diets 2,3,4,5, and 6, respectively. Two hundred and sixteen, 28 days old broilers used for the experiment were distributed on weight equalization basis into threereplicates of 36 birds per treatment in a completely randomized design. Data generated were statistically analysed and the significant means separated. The result showed that increased level of HEBM in the diet did not significantly (P>0.05) influence the final body weight, average weekly weight gain, average weekly feed intake and the feed conversion ratio. Equally, the weight of cut parts and internal organs were not statistically (P>0.05) affected. The cost/kg of feed, cost of feed consumed and cost/kg weight gain reduced significantly (P<0.05) with increase in thelevel of HEBM in the diet. It was concluded that up to 60% of the SBM in the broilers finisher diet could be replaced by processed HEBM for higher economics returns.