COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF RAW AND UREA/TOASTED VELVET BEAN (Mucuna pruriens) FOR BROILER CHICKS

Feeding trials lasting 28 days were conducted to investigate the nutritive value of raw and urea treated/toasted mucuna bean for broiler chicks. Raw mucuna bean contains 30.33& crude protein, 7.20% crude fibre, 6.9% ether extract and 5.0% ash. Mucuna bean seeds were divided into two batches. One batch was ground raw and the other batch was ground raw, treated with 3% of its weight of urea and toasted. Mucuna bean meals so produced were then used to formulate broiler chick diets incorporfating these meals at 5% and 10% respectively. One hundred and fifty (150), 7-day-old Anak broiler chicks were randomly assigned to the five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD) and each treatment group was further sub-divided into three replicates. Feed intake of the birds was inconsistent with the treatments, increasing at 5% inclusion level and decreasing at 10% inclusion level (P<0.05). Body weight gain of the birds followed the same pattern as feed intake, decreasing at a higher dietary level of mucuna bean meal at all levels reduced cost of feed and meat production. The results of this trial suggest that broiler chicks could not tolerate raw mucuna bean meal beyond 5% dietary level. Urea treatment at this level (3% of the weight of mucuna bean) and toasting did not improve the nutritive value of mucuna been beyond 5% dietary level.