Economic Analyses and the Growth Performance of Broiler Starter Birds on High Fibre-low Protein Industrial Plant By-products

Aims: Economic parameters from the production of broiler starter birds in which composites of bio-fermented industrial plant by-products were used as crude protein supplements were determined by investigating their growth performance vis-a-vis the total net revenue derivable.

Study Design: 288 birds were picked and randomized into 6 treatments in a completely randomize designed experiment. The data collected were subjected to One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Minitab computer model (Version 16).

Place and Duration of Study: Research study was carried out at the Teaching & Research Farm of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, a town in the Southwest Nigeria between June and September 2016.

Methodology: The composite of the palm kernel meal (PKM), brewer dried grains (BDG) and molasses were prepared. The composite was fermented and dried before incorporation in dry matter basis into experimental diets as protein supplement. Data on growth parameters were collected and economic analyses were carried out at the end of the broiler starter phase.

Results: The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lowest in the control diet (without PBMC) with a value of 1.60±0.01 and significantly lower (P<0.05) than FCR values obtained for other birds on other diets. Other FCR values were similar (P>0.05) for birds on diets 2 (10% PBMC), 3 (15% PBMC), 4 (20% PBMC), 5 (25% PBMC) and 6 (30% PBMC) at 1.76±0.21, 1.79±0.01, 1.90±0.01, 1.88±0.08 and 1.90±0.04, respectively. Birds on the zero PBMC inclusion level had the highest net returns/bird.

Conclusion: The fermented PBMC had better nutritional quality than the unfermented. The economic analyses of the PBMC inclusions in broiler starter diets revealed a net loss in returns as PBMC inclusions increased across the experimental diets. The incorporation of PBMC into broiler starter diets is not recommended especially for commercial production of broilers at the starting phase (0-28 days) of production.