GROWTH RESPONSE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILERS FED HEAT TREATED JATROPHA SEED CAKE-BASED DIETS

This study was carried out to determine the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers fed heat treated Jatropha Seed Cake (JSC) in an experiment that lasted for 28 days. 200 seven-day-old Arbor acre broiler chicks were weighed and randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments consisting of 5 replicates with 10 birds per replicate. Treatment 1 was the basal (corn-soyabean meal diet) with no JSC. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 contained the basal diet and 5, 10 15% JSC respectively. Weekly weight gain, feed intake and percentage mortality of birds were assessed. On day 28, two birds were slaughtered from each replicate, carcass primal cuts and organ weights were harvested and weighed. The highest final weight, weight gain and feed intake were observed in birds on the control diet (0% JSC inclusion). No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in the final weight and the weight gain-of birds on diets with 5% and 10% JSC based diets. The least final weight (685.38g/b) and weight gain (553.98g/b) were recorded for birds on 15% JSC diet. The feed intake of birds on the control diet was significantly (P<0.05) higher (1419.18g/b) than that of birds on JSC diets. Similar feed conversion ratio was observed in birds on the control diet and those on 5 and 10% JSC diets. There was no mortality recorded in birds on experimental diets. There were significant (P<0.05) differences observed in the live weight, wings, breast, drumstick and back of birds on experimental diets. Highest live weight was recorded for birds on the control diet (1002g/b) while the least (685.38g/b) was observed in birds on 15% JSC diet. Resembling trends were observed in the wings, breast, drumstick and back of birds on the control diet. Similar results were observed for wings, breast, and drumstick and back of birds on 10% and 15% JSC diets. Spleens of birds on JSC diets were identical. Thigh, gizzard, liver, pancreas and heart were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by diets. Meanwhile, bursa of fabricius of birds on the control diet and 5% JSC diet were similar and significantly different from those on 10 and 15% JSC diets.