Evaluation of Nutritive Value of Replacing Wheat Offal with Pineapple Waste Meal on the Carcass and Organs Parameters (Starter Phase) of Broiler Chickens

The study was undertaken to evaluate nutritive value of replacing wheat offal with pineapple waste meal on the carcass and organs parameters (starter phase) of broiler chickens. This research was carried out at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm of OSUN State College of Education Ila-Orangun. The site is located within the derived savannah of Nigeria. Crops and livestock generally do well in the study. The pineapple wastes were sun dried for 25 days at above 300C to have constant weight and milled to obtain pineapple waste meal. The researchers came up with five experimental treatments were at different replacement levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% pineapple wastes meal (PWM) respectively for wheat offal in the diets. Table 4 showed the performance characteristics of broiler chicken fed pineapple waste diets. Final live weight and weight gain were not significantly different (p > 0.05) across the treatments, however, feed intake and feed to gain ratio were significantly (p < 0.05) affected. Final live weight of birds fed control diet (T1) was numerically higher than birds fed other diets. Feed intake of birds fed the T1 and those fed T2 showed similarity. Feed to gain ratio of birds fed T1, T2 and T5 were not different (p > 0.05). Table 5 showed the carcass and relative organs weight of broiler starter chicken fed pineapple wastes diets. Bled weight, defeathered weight, eviscerated weight, dressing percent, breast, back, drumstick, wing, shanks, head, liver, and gizzard were significantly (p < 0.05) different across Carcass characteristics revealed that the values of breast, back, drumstick and wings were comparable between birds fed the control diet and those fed T2 (25% PWM) and T3 (50% PWM). However, this similarity was appreciably (p < 0.05) higher than birds fed T4 (75% PWM). Values of the head also had similar presentation i.e. birds on the control diet and T4 had similar values which were superior than other treatments. Birds fed T4 had significantly (p < 0.05) depressed value (2.73%) of liver when compared with other treatments. Numerical diminish in the values of body weight and weight gain of the birds could be ascribed to the boost in the inclusion level of PWM. The age of the birds at this phase could not satisfactorily handle the fibre levels. Broiler chicken fed with the control had the maximum weight gain while birds on treatment 5(100% PWM) had the minimum weight gain. The study concludes that replacement of wheat offal with pineapple waste meal (PWM) increased the fibre quantity of the treatments (diets). Birds fed 50% PWM performed better than others in growth performance both in starter. The study recommends that , farmers could include pineapple waste meal (PWM) up to 50% for the replacement of wheat offal in the diet of broiler chicken as alternative source of fibre without any deleterious effect.