Evaluation of Bread Waste Fortified with Moringa Leaf Meal on Performance and Health Status of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Aim: This study is to evaluate the effects of using bread waste fortified with moringa leaf meal on broiler chickens. Methodology: Bread wastes were sun-dried and moringa leaves air-dried. The two dried products were milled separately. Thereafter, the meals were mixed in ratio 9:1 (9 kg Bread Waste + 1 kg Moringa Leaf) to produced fortified bread wastes. Four broiler starter diets and four finisher diets were formulated using fortified bread waste at graded levels of 0, 5, 10 and 15% and designated diets I, II, III and IV, respectively. Two hundred chicks were assigned to four dietary treatments of five replicates and ten chicks per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design. Diets and water were fed to the broilers ad libitum from 0 - 28 days as starter phase and 29 - 56 days as finisher phase. Results: Highest final weight gain and total weight gain (2.12 kg/bird and 2.07 kg/bird) and least feed conversion ratio (2.32) were observed in bird fed Diet I. The dressed weight, eviscerated weight, head, chest, drumstick, wing, thigh, back and shank were influenced significantly (P˂0.05) by the dietary treatments. Highest dressed weight (92.64%), eviscerated weight (79.52%), head (25.34 g/kg body weight), chest (206.53 g/kg body weight) and wing (83.10g/kg body weight) were recorded in bird fed Diet I. Only lymphocyte was influenced (P < .05) by the dietary treatments. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate varies: 2.33 - 3.33 mm/hour, packed cell volume: 26.67 - 28.67%, haemoglobin concentration: 9.23 - 9.88 g/100 ml and mean cell haemoglobin concentration: 34.41 - 34.61%. Cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase were influenced (P < 0.05) by the dietary treatments. The cholesterol: 22.57 - 32.78 mg/dl and alkaline phosphatase: 144.17-150.98 IU/I. Conclusion: From the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that increasing levels of fortified bread wastes in broiler chicken diets up till 5% inclusion level can be practiced.