Palm kernel meal as a feed for poultry. 3. Replacement of groundnut cake by palm kernel meal in broiler diets

Abstract

A total of 528 Ross broiler birds were used in two experiments to establish to what extent palm kernel meal can be used to replace groundnut cake in the starting and finishing diets of broiler chickens and to study the effect of such replacements on rate of gain, cost of production and carcass characteristics. For both the starter and finisher broiler birds, palm kernel meal could be used to replace up to 60% of the protein furnished by groundnut cake in the control diet without any significant differences in production. The starter birds were able to utilize up to 28% of palm kernel meal without any significant effect on performance. Above this level rate of gain and feed conversion value significantly ( P < 0.05) declined. The finishing birds were able to utilize up to 35% palm kernel meal without any significant effect on performance. Beyond this level there was a significant ( P < 0.05) fall in rate of gain and feed efficiency. Abdominal fat significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased as the level of palm kernel meal fed increased while the gizzard weight significantly ( P < 0.05) increased. Cost of feed decreased as the palm kernel meal level increased and the results show that the use of up to 35% of palm kernel meal in the diet of finishing broilers will reduce cost of production, improve feed efficiency and also reduce the fat component of finished broilers.