Utilization of coconut meal based diets supplemented with lysine by broiler chicken

Abstract

Coconut meal (CM) was included in a broiler diet to supply 40% of the total groundnut cake protein. The diet was formulated based on the recommendations of a previous study that coconut meal protein can replace 40% of groundnut cake (GNC) in broilers diet. A control diet was formulated containing 22% GNC, the protein of which was replaced by coconut meal protein. Five diets were prepared . The control (Diet A) and 4 others that contained essentially the same proximate composition (Diets B-E) were supplemented with synthetic lysine at 0.30, 0,60, 0.90 and 1.20% dietary levels. 240 broiler chicks were alotted into 5 dietary treatment groups of 3 sub-groupa. Each sub-group contained 16 birds. The dietary lysine content from diets A-E were 1.20, 1.15, 1.45, 1.76 and 2.00% respectively and were fed to the broilers for a period of 56 days. Performance indices, average feed consumption, average body gain, live weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) were monitored. The dry matter, protein and ether extractretentions were all equally monitored twice at the 4th and 8th week. Haematological and enzyme assays were investigated at 4th and 8th week. The average feed consumption and FCR were significantly increased (P<0.05) by the increasing level of lysine supplementation both at the 4th and 8th week. The body gain also decreased significantly (P<0.05) at the 4th and 8th week while the live weight was significantly (P<0.05) better in the control and 0.6% lysine supplementation at the 56th day of the study. The dry matter, nitrogen and other extract retentions significantly decreased (P<0.05) at the 4th and 8th week. The total protein and albumin decreased significantly (P<0.05) at the 4th and 8th week while, creatinine and urea increased with increasing level of lysine supplementation. The serum glutamate amino transaminase and alanine amino transaminase both increased significantly (P<0.05) at the 4th and 8th week. The study indicated that 0.6% lysine supplementation (of diet containing coconut meal contributing 40% protein of the major vegetable protein source) enhance the utilization of the coconut meal by broilers.