EFFECTS OF REPLACEMENT OF MAIZE WITH DRIED LEAVES OF SWEET-POTATO (HYPOMOEA-BATATAS) AND PERENNIAL PEANUTS (ARACHIS-GLABRATA BENTH) ON THE GROWTH-PERFORMANCE OF FINISHING BROILERS

A total of 100 4-week-old unsexed Anak-2000 broiler chicks were used i n a 4-week experiment to study the effect of replacing 200 or 300 g of maize kg(-1) in the finisher diet with either sweet potato leaves (Hy pomoea batatas) or perennial peanut leaves (Arachis glabrata Benth) on their growth rate and feed conversion ratio. The results revealed tha t the replacement of maize with sweet potato leaves significantly (P < 0.05) depressed body weight gain, Perennial peanut leaves had the sam e adverse effect on weight gain when replacing 300 g maize kg(-1). How ever, when 200 g maize kg(-1) was replaced by perennial peanut leaves, weight gain by chicks was similar to that of the control treatment. T he substitution of 300 g maize kg(-1) by either sweet potato leaves or perennial peanuts significantly (P < 0.05) increased feed conversion ratio. Therefore, the replacement of maize by either sweet potato or A rachis glabrata leaf meal does not seem justified under the conditions of this experiment. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.