DOUM PALM (Hyphaene thebaica) SEED MEAL AS A NOVEL FEEDSTUFF FOR BROILER CHICKENS: EFFECT ON GROWTH RESPONSE

<p><strong>Background. </strong>High cost of feed ingredients and increased demand for broiler chicken in many African countries has necessitated the search for alternative feed sources. <strong>Objective.</strong> To evaluate the effects of <em>H</em><em>yphaene thebaica</em> seed meal (HTSM) as substitute for maize on growth and blood parameters of broiler chickens. <strong>Methodology</strong><strong>. </strong>Five experimental diets were formulated for the trial. Diet 1 (0% HTSM) served as the control while diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained 5, 10, 15 and 20% HTSM respectively replacing dietary maize in the diets of birds. A total of 225 day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted into five treatment groups with three replicates of fifteen birds each. Each group was assigned to the five experimental diets in completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were supplied <em>ad libitum </em>for all treatment groups during the trial. <strong>Result.</strong> Differences (P&lt;0.05) were observed in the growth parameters measured except average daily feed intake (P&gt;0.05). Feed conversion ratio and average daily weight gain of birds fed 0, 5 and 10% HTSM diets were better (P&lt;0.05) compared to those fed 15 and 20 % HTSM diets. Differences (P&lt;0.05) were also observed in the blood parameters measured except the packed cell volume (29.08- 31.89%) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (14.69-15.67pg). The white blood cell (11.45-18.14 x 10⁹/l), red blood cell (4.71-6.99 x 10¹²/l), haemoglobin (6.92-10.05g/dl) and aspartate transaminase (72.95-90.16 IU/l), alanine aminotransaminase (62.84-79.50 IUu/l) and alkaline phosphatase (100.26-108.77 IU/l) increased (P&lt;0.05) as the dietary levels of HTSM increased across the treatments. Carcass and organ weights of birds fed 0, 5 and 10% HTSM diets were better (P&lt;0.05) than those fed 15 and 20% HTSM diets. <strong>Implication. </strong>Adequate processing of the HTSM is needed to reduce the anti-nutritional factors to a tolerable level before being used in broiler diet.<strong> C</strong><strong>onclusion.</strong> Broiler chickens can tolerate up to 10% raw HTSM in their diets without adverse effect on growth performance. </p>