Nutrient Digestibility and Growth Performance of Finisher Broilers Given Dried Xylopia aethiopica Fruits (Grains of Selim) as Additive
J. O. Isikwenu *
Department of Animal Science, Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The nutrient digestibility and growth performance of finisher broilers given dried Xylopia aethiopica fruits (grains of selim) as additive was investigated. One hundred and ninety five finisher broilers (Arbor acres strain), 28- days old were randomly assigned into five treatments with each treatment having three replicates. Blended grains of selim was administered orally through drinking water on treatments 2, 3, 4 and 5 at concentrations of 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 g per litre respectively while birds on treatment 1 (control) received 0.3 g/litre of antibiotics (doxygen). Birds were fed ad libitum with the same isoproteinous and isocaloric diet containing 20% crude protein and 2905.95 Kcal/kg metabolisable energy for 28 days. Results showed no significant differences among treatments in the final body weight, total weight gain, daily weight gain, total feed intake, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Nutrient digestibilities were similar across treatment groups. Results of this study demonstrated that grains of selim could be used as a substitute for antibiotic growth promoters.
Keywords: Antibiotics, finisher broilers, growth promoter, nutrient, digestibility, Xylopia aethiopica dried fruits (grains of selim)