Utilization of Sun-cured Neem Leaf Meal (Azadirachta. Indica A.Juss) Based Diets by Finisher Broiler Chickens
Published: April 3, 2013
By: C.O. Obun (Department of Animal Production, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State), E.A. Olatunji (Department of Animal Science, University of Abuja) and C.I. Ukim (Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Salt Lake Street, Abuja)
Summary
Two hundred and forty (240) 7 days-old unsexed Arbor acres broiler chickens were allotted to five treatments of 48 birds, replicated four times (12 birds each) to evaluate the effects of feeding graded levels of Neem leaf meal (NM) at 0% (NM0), 5% (NM5), 10% (NM10), 15% (NM15) and 20 % (NM20) on growth performance, feed intake and nutrients utilization and retention. The experimental birds were arranged in a completely randomized design and managed for 56 days. The result of the feed intake (FI) of birds on NM based diets showed a progressive significant (P<0.05) decreased among the treatments with increased inclusion levels. The birds fed the control (NM0) and NM5 showed similar (P>0.05) FI but significantly higher compared with those on NM10, NM15 and NM20 based diets. The body weight gain and daily weight gain of birds on NM5 diet compared favourably (P>0.05) with those on the NM0 diet but were significantly (P<0.05) reduced from those on NM10, NM15 and NM20 based diets. The nutrient retentions of crude protein, crude fibre, ash and ether extracts of birds on diets NM0, NM5 and NM10 were better (P>0.05) but significantly (P<0.05) different among those on diets NM15 and NM20. In this study, 15% NM is the optimum inclusion tolerance level by finisher broiler chicks.
Keywords: Leaf meal, growth performance, nutrients, chicks
INTRODUCTION
The utilization of leaf meal feed ingredient as alternative is not new but the inclusion level at various ages and physiological conditions varies. The green plants have long been recognized as the cheapest and most abundant potential source of proteins because of their ability to synthesize amino acids from a wide range of virtually unlimited and readily available primary materials [1]. Any assessment of the potential of leaf meals in non ruminant nutrition necessitates a comparative review of nutrient content [2].
The maximum tolerance level of Neem leaf meal (NM) as stated by [3] is 10% in starter broilers but [4] included 15% in laying birds while [5, 6, 7] asserted the use of 15 % in rabbits. The proximate composition of neem leaf meal indicated it as a good source of protein with crude protein values range of 18.10-20.68% [3, 5, 8], although it contains bioactive compounds (Azadirachtin, nimbin, salanin, limonoids and tannin) that has deleterious factors which may affect nutrient utilization [9, 10,11]. A depression in the performance of broiler chicks and laying birds fed NM at 10 and 15% had been reported by [3, 4] and at 15% in rabbit diets by [5, 6] and [7]. The bioactive principles in NM had earlier been reported [3, 4, 5, 6, 12] reduced by sun drying. This study was therefore designed to evaluate optimum acceptable limit of Neem leaf meal on finisher broiler chicks’ performance and nutrients retentions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
1. Experimental Site
The experiment was carried out at the Poultry Unit of Federal College of Wildlife Management Research Farm, New Bussa, Niger State. New Bussa is located at a longitude 40 31" E and latitude 703" N and 100 N [13].
2. Collection and Processing of Neem Leaf Meal
The fresh young neem leaves were collected within the estate of Federal College of Wildlife Management. The leaves were sun-dried for 3-4 days so as to maintain it greenish coloration and to reduce the anti-nutritional factors. The Neem leaves were ground to particle size of 2mm sieve using a hammer mill and the chemical composition of the leaf meal was determine (Table 1).
Table 1: Proximate composition of neem leaf meal (% DM basis)
3. Experimental Diets
Five experimental diets were formulated with Neem leaf meals included at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively replacing ground nut cake and presented as NM0,NM5, NM10, NM15 and NM20 (Tables 2 and 3).
Table 2: Composition of Experimental Starter Diets Fed Broiler Chicks
Table 3: Composition of experimental finisher diets
4. Source of Experimental Birds and Design
Two hundred and forty (240) day-old broiler chicks (Arbor acres) were purchased from Zarm farm Ilemona, inKwaraState. The birds were fed on commercial starter diet for seven days before allocation for the feeding trial. The birds were allocated to five experimental treatments of 48 birds each, replicated four times with 12 birds each in a completely randomized design (CRD).
5. Management of Experimental Birds
The birds were raised on a deep litter pens size of 2.5 × 2.5 m2 with wood shavings. The poultry house was thoroughly disinfected with disinfectant (Dazintol) before the arrival of the birds. The open sides of the poultry house were covered with empty sacks in order to conserved heat. Heat was provided using 100 watt bulbs and the birds were fed ad-libitium. The birds were administered vitalyte in water on arrival for the first five days so as to reduce stress and boost their immunity, and also vaccinated Lasota and Gumboro vaccines at the first and second week. Subsequently, birds were treated against bacterial infections using Neoceryl (antibiotic) in water and anti-coccidial (Embazin forte) to prevent against coccidiosis. The birds were fed starter diets for four weeks and later switched to finisher diets for another four weeks (Tables 2 and 3).
6. Measurement of Parameters
Feed intake was obtained by the differences between the amount of feed served and the left over per week. Weekly weight gain was also recorded by weighing the birds on weekly basis. The feed intake and weight gain were used to calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR).
7. Nutrient Retention Trial
At the end of the experimental trial (8 weeks), two birds per replicate were randomly selected into metabolic cages with feeding and watering facilities. The birds were fed four days in cage for acclimatization before faecal collection for three days. The collected droppings were sun dried, bulked together and labeled in poly bags before taken for analysis.
8. Proximate Analysis
The leaf meal, experimental diets and faecal samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF) ether extracts (EE) and Ash according to [14] methods.
9. Statistical Analysis
All data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS 17.0 (Microsoft, Window, 2003 version) and mean differences separated by methods of [15].
RESULTS
1. Growth Performance
The growth performance of broilers fed Neem leaf meal (NM) based diets are presented in Table 4. The final weight, body weight gain and daily weight gain of birds fed diets NM0and NM5weresimilar (P>0.05) but significant (P<0.05) different among those on diets NM10and NM15andNM20,though NM10and NM15 were better (P>0.05) compared with NM20. Generally, there was a decrease in these parameters with increasing NM inclusion levels in the diets.
2. Feed Intake
The total feed intake and daily feed intake (Table 4) of birds on NM0,NM5,NM10and NM15were not significantly (P>0.05) affected but were significantly (P<0.05) different frombirds on diet NM20.
Table 4: Performance of Finisher broilers fed Neem leaf meal
3. Feed Conversion Ratio
The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds on diet NM0(2.28) was the best compared with those on diets NM5(2.53), NM10(2.53),NM15(2.49)and NM20(2.95) (Table 4).
4. Nutrients Retention
The nutrient retentions of broiler chicks are presented in Table 5. The crude protein retentions of birds fed diets NM0, NM5, NM10 and NM15 was better (P>0.05) but significantly (P<0.05) different from those on diet NM20. The birds on diet NM0 had the highest crude fibre retentions but decrease significantly (P<.05) among NM based diets. Similarly, the ash and ether extracts of birds on NM0, NM5 and NM10were similar (P>0.05) but significantly (P<0.05) different among those on NM15 and NM20.
Table 5: Nutrients retention of broiler chicks fed Neem leaf meal (% DM basis)
DISCUSSIONS
The depressed performance and nutrient retentions of birds fed diets NM15 and NM20 is in agreement with the observations by [16, 17] that inclusion of high levels of leaf meal in poultrydiet reduce feed intake, growth performance and nutrient digestibility. [4] reported depressed growth rate in laying hens and [5] reported no adverse effects on haematological indices of rabbits at 15 % NM inclusion level. The depression in performance in birds on diets NM15 and NM20 might be due to the high fibre in these diets as reflected in Tables 2 and 3. The drastic reductions in feed intake, growth rate and nutrients retentions in this study is similar to reports by [18] who observed 71% depressed growth rate at 20% Robinia pseuoacacia leaf meal to broilers. The poor performance of birds, especially on diet NM20 could also be attributed to the bioactive compounds such as tannins, nimbin, salanin, azadirachtin and limonoids earlier identified in NM by [4].
The poor feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds on NM based diets could be a reflection of the poor feed quality and utilization of the diets compared with the control diet. These results confirm earlier findings by [3, 4, 5, 6, 7], that 15% NM is the tolerance level for laying hens and adult rabbits.
CONCLUSION
The proximate composition of Neem leaf meal is comparable to other vegetables and plants use as feed raw materials for livestock. At 20% NM based diets, birds depressed growth rate, feed intake and nutrient retentions. In this study, 15 % NM is the tolerance level in broiler chick’s diets.
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