The nutritive value of chaya leaf meal (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) Johnston): studies with broiler chickens

Citation
A. Donkoh et al., The nutritive value of chaya leaf meal (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) Johnston): studies with broiler chickens, ANIM FEED S, 77(1-2), 1999, pp. 163-172
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ISSN journal
03778401 → ACNP
Volume
77
Issue
1-2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
163 - 172
Database
ISI
SICI code
0377-8401(19990215)77:1-2<163:TNVOCL>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
Chaya leaf meal (CLM) (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) Johnston) was eval uated as a poultry feed ingredient in a series of two pilot studies. Tn exp eriment I, diets containing 0, 25, 50 and 75 g CLM kg(-1) were fed, ad libi tum, to 480 day-old broiler chicks for a period of 8 weeks. Birds had free access to water. The concentration of CLM in the diet had no effect on feed consumption. Overall significant correlations were found between the conce ntrations of CLM in the diet and weight gain (r = -0.98) and feed : gain ra tio (r = 0.99). The level of CLM in the diet was shown to be strongly corre lated with the carcass dressing percentage (r = -0.97). Mortality rates of birds fed CLM-containing diets were markedly lower than those fed the chaya -free diet. Increased concentrations of red blood cells, haemoglobin, haema tocrit and decreased total serum cholesterol as well as increased liver and heart weights were observed in birds fed diets containing high amounts of CLM. CLM could be included in chicks' diet at concentrations up to 25 g kg( -1) without an adverse effect on performance. In experiment II, 240 broiler chicks were fed diets containing 0 or 25 g CLM kg(-1) and with or without 100 g oil palm slurry (OPS) kg(-1) from day-old to 8 weeks of age. The diet s were formulated to be isonitrogenous but not isoenergetic. The OPS-contai ning diets were higher in energy content. Birds fed the OPS diet and the ch aya leaf meal (CLM)-and oil palm slurry (OPS)-combined diet gained the high est (p<0.01) weight. The efficiency of feed utilisation was similar to that of body weight gains. Carcass dressing percentage followed the same trend. Furthermore, mortality rates of birds fed CLM-free diets were markedly hig her than those fed the CLM-containing diets. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.