INFLUENCE OF THREE DIETARY OIL SOURCES ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND LIPID PROFILE IN BROILER

Two hundred and forty one-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 12 birds each in a completely randomized design. Diet I had no oil (control diet), diets 2, 3 and 4 contained control diet with 2.5% soybean oil, 2.5% shea butter oil and 2.5% fish oil respectively in a study that lasted for 42 days. Performance indices and carcass quality were assessed. On day 42, blood sample was collected from the jugular vein of one bird per replicate and assayed for serum metabolites. Birds fed Shea butter supplemented diet had lower (P < 0.05) average feed intake (2521.30g/b) compared to birds on other diets. Improved average body weight gain (P < 0.05) was observed in birds fed soybean oil supplemented diets which was similar to birds on fish oil diet. Similar feed conversion ratio was recorded in birds on the control diet, soybean oil and shea butter oil diets which were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those on fish oil diet. A resembling trend was recorded for gain: feed of birds on experimental diets. Diet had no effect on weights of wings, breast muscle and thigh of birds on dietary treatments. Live weights of birds fed soybean oil and fish oil diets compared with the control diet. Drumstick of birds on shea butter oil differ (P<0.05) significantly from birds fed fish though both similar to those on the control diet and soybean oil diet. There were significant differences observed in the cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein. Identical high density lipoprotein values were recorded for birds on dietary oil sources which were significantly (P<0.05) lower than values obtained for birds on the control diet. Results obtained in the present study showed that three dietary oil sources improved performance, carcass quality and lipid profile of broiler chickens.