Productive performance of broiler chickens fed tomato waste

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the effect of tomato waste inclusion on productive performance and characteristics of carcass and main broiler chicken cuts, an experiment was carried out using 300 male Cobb chicks, distributed in a complete randomized design, with five rations and five replicates. Diets consisted of control ration based on corn and soybean meal and four rations with 5, 10, 15 and 20% of tomato waste. Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion and, at the end of experiment, slaughter weight, gutted carcass without feet and head, breast, drumstick, thigh, wing, back, edible guts and belly fat were evaluated every week, as well as it was the yield. Tomato waste increased feed intake in the periods from 1 to 7, 8 to 14 and 29 to 36 days of age and worsened gain weight and feed conversion of broiler chickens up to 29 days of age. Regarding carcass weight (g) and weight of the noble parts, breast, drumstick and thighs decreased linearly in function of the use of tomato waste in poultry on pre- initial and initial phase, that is, up to 28 days old, but yield (%) was not affected except for yield of heart and liver. Use of tomato waste in ration of broiler chickens during the period from 1 to 28 days may decrease weight gain and worsen food conversion. Tomato waste may be used as ration ingredient in ration of broiler chicken in the breeding period from 29 to 42 days of age up to the level of 20% without harming weight gain and feed conversion of poultry.