Effects of graded levels of Calapogonium muconoides leaf meal on the performance of broiler finisher birds

Abstract

Readily available and local sources of protein is a major limitation to broiler production for small holder production systems of southeast Nigeria. Soybean, groundnut cake, fishmeal and other conventional sources are used but expensive. Calapogonium muconoides leaf meal is commonly grazed by ruminants while the information on its nutritive value in poultry has not been well documented. Thus the effects of levels of inclusion of Calapogonium muconoides leaf meal on the performance of broiler finisher was evaluated. The proximate composition some antinutrirional factors and minerals (calcium and phosphorus) in the leaf meal of Calopogonium mucunoides were analysed. Also, in a 28-day feeding trial using 4 week old broiler finisher birds, varying levels of inclusion of Calopogonium mucunoides leaf meal was incorporated at 0% (D1), 5% (D2), 10% (D3) and15% (D4) as a replacement for soybean meal and were fed to one hundred (100) Arbor Acres type broilers in a completely randomised design with three replicates to determine the feed intake and weight gain. After the end of the feeding trial, some birds were analysed for carcass characteristics Result of proximate analyses on a dry matter basis, revealed that C. mucunoides contained 20.0% crude protein, 18.77% crude fibre, 4.88% ether extract, 6.73% ash, and 40.93% NFE. Calopogonium mucunoides leaf meal had high levels (mg/g) of calcium (116) and phosphorous (331.6 tannins (0.71%), saponin (0.53%), alkaloids (1.05%), phenols (0.63%), phytate (0.32%), oxalate (0.12%) and hydrocyanic acid HCN (6.70mg/Kg).  The performance result showed no significance differences for all the parameters measured (p>0.05) except for daily feed intake (p<0.05). The final average body weight (grams) of 2089.1, 2468.9, 2465.7 and 2442.2 ±197 were noticed for the broilers on D1, D2, D3 and D4 respectively.  The average daily body weight gains were 35.4, 43.9, 45 and 42.5g ± 5.3 for birds on D1, D2, D3 and D4 respectively. Average daily feed intakes for birds on D1 to D4 were also 160.18, 145.1, 150.1 and 134.7g ± 14.98 respectively. Feed conversion ratio were 4.5, 3.4, 3.3 and 3.2g± 0.23 for birds on D1, D2, D3 and D4 respectively. There were significant differences observed for daily feed intake, being lower with high percentage of C. mucunoides leaf meal inclusion. The carcass and organ characteristics showed no significant difference (p>0.05) among the four diets, except for the shank 3.68, 3.34, 4.30, 3.55 ± 0.21% and liver 2.1, 2.48, 1.80, 1.78 ± 0.19 %   which were significantly different (p<0.05). It is therefore concluded that C. mucunoides leaf meal can be safely incorporated into broiler finisher diets up to 15% level with superior feed conversion ratio and without any harmful effects.