Egg Production and Economic Response of Laying Pullets Fed Urea- Fermented Brewer’s Dried Grains Groundnut Cake Based Diets

Abstract

The effect of urea-fermented brewer’s dried grains at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% graded levels in place of groundnut cake in pullet layers diets was investigated. Five treatment diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric to provide 17% crude protein and 2600kcal/kg metabolizable energy. One hundred and twenty pullet layers  (Goldline hybreed) were randomly allotted into five treatment groups of 24 birds each and replicated three times with 8 birds per replicate. They were fed ad libitum in deep litter for eight weeks. Daily feed intake, total eggs produced for the period, total eggs weight per bird and feed conversion ratio were not significantly (P>0.05) different, while significant (P<0.5) differences were observed in final body weight, body weight gain, total eggs produced per bird per week, average egg weight and hen day production. Hen day was similar for the control and up to 75% replacement levels. It was more economical and profitable to use urea-fermented brewer’s dried grains in replacing GNC in pullet layer’s diets.

Keywords: Egg weight, Groundnut cake, Hen day production, pullet layers, Urea-fermented BDG.