Inclusion of fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis) fortified bread waste in broiler chickens’ diets

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to produce a least-cost ration from the use of fluted pumpkin leaf meal and bread waste in broiler chickens' diets. Fluted pumpkin leaves (FPL) were sourced in Akure and its environs. The leaves were air-dried and milled to produce fluted pumpkin leaf meal (FPLM), while bread wastes were collected from different bakeries in Ilara-mokin and Akure towns, Ondo State, Nigeria. The bread wastes were sun-dried and milled and tagged BWM. The fluted pumpkin meal and bread waste meal were mixed in ratio 1:9 (1 kg FPLM + 9 kg BWM) to produce the fortified bread waste meal (FBWM) and used as one of the feed ingredients in broiler chickens' diets. The FBWM were included in the diets at 0, 5, 10 and 15% to serve as diets I, II, III and IV, respectively. Two hundred day-old Abor-acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted to the four (4) dietary treatments at fifty (50) chicks per treatment at five (5) replicates per treatment in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets (starter and finisher) and freshwater were offered to the chicks ad libitum for fifty-six (56) days. Results: The results showed that the final weights and total weight gain were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. The highest final weight (2.12 ± 13.16 kg/bird) and the highest total weight gain (2.08 ± 13.14 kg/bird) were recorded in birds fed diet I, while the lowest final weight (1.73 ± 11.67 kg/bird) and the lowest total weight gain (1.69 ± 11.15 kg/bird) were recorded in birds fed diet IV. There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in the feed conversion ratio for all birds fed diets I-IV. The highest dressed weight (92.64 ± 8.30%) and the highest eviscerated weight (79.52 ± 6.50%) were recorded in birds fed diet I. The lowest cholesterol (21.23 ± 3.15 mg/dl) was recorded in bird fed diet IV and the highest (32.78 ± 3.78 mg/dl) in birds fed diet I. Highest net profit (N 683.27) was recorded in bird fed diet IV. Conclusion: Conceivably, within the limit of this study, the inclusion of FBWM in the diet of broiler chickens at 0% had better results than other test diets, but looking at the level of significant, up to 5% is practicable considering the final weight and weight gain. Bird fed 15% yielded the highest profit/bird produced.

Technical and economic potentials of the unconventional extruded dried Arabic bread wastes in broilers diets

“…Such estimation was based, mainly, on the affordability and accessible source of protein with a low-fat content of chicken meat ( King et al, 2017a ). However, the expansion of broiler production worldwide and in Saudi Arabia is susceptible to the high production cost associated with the ever-increasing cost of conventional poultry feedstuff ( Adegbenro et al, 2020 ) and to the import restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak ( Hafez and Attia, 2020 ). Accordingly, the use of affordable unconventional locally produced raw materials, alternative energy sources, as well as new technologies in the processing are required for higher diet compositions flexibility ( Epao, 2015 ), for the reduction of poultry diets production cost ( Onifade, 1993 ), and the feasibility enhancement of poultry production ( Adegbenro et al, 2020 , Truong et al, 2019 , Al-Harthi et al, 2018a , Al-Harthi et al, 2018b ).…”