Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Partially Cooked Sweet Potato Meal

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of partially cooked sweet potato meal on the performance of broiler chikens. A total of two hundred 8 day-old Anak 2000 strain broiler chicks were used. Partially cooked sweet potato meal (PCSPM) was included at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80% levels designated as diets; I, II, III, IV and V respectively. The broiler chicks after brooding were randomly allotted to the five dietary tratments, each replicated four times with ten chicks per replicate in a completely ramdomised design. The feeding trial lasted for a period of eight weeks. Feed and water were provided at ad libitum. The results showed that daily weight gain was highly significantly (P<0.01) affected by dietary treatments. Such that any increase in the proportion of PCSPM in the starter diet negatively influenced weight gain. Feed conversion ratio was also highly significantly (P<0.01) affected, however, FCR increases with increase in the proportion of PCSPM. In the finisher phase, there is significant (P<0.0) difference in daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. In the pooled performance, daily feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. There is however no difference in feed consumption between the birds fed diet V (80% PCSPM) and those on control diet (0% PCSPM). It can be concluded that, PCSPM can be fed to broiler chickens at up to 80% level with a promising groth performance

Keyword: Growth, Partially cooked, Performance, sweet potato