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PRINT: ISSN 2221-1896
ONLINE : ISSN 2223-0343
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Performance of
pullet chicks
fed different levels of dietary fibre and enzyme |
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A.O. Ani, L.C. Ugwuowo,
C.O. Osita and O.N. Alutu
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Department of Animal
Science, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka,
Nigeria
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Abstract |
The response of pullet chicks to varying levels of dietary fibre and
supplementary enzyme was investigated for 8 weeks using 120 three weeks
old Harco black pullet chicks. The chicks were randomly divided into 8
groups of 15 birds each and assigned to 8 energetic (11.78-11.96 MJ/Kg
ME) and nitrogenous (20% crude protein) diets in a 4 x 2 factorial
arrangement involving four fibre levels (5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0%) and two
enzyme levels (0 and 0.25%). Each treatment was replicated 3 times with
5 birds per replicate. Results showed that while body weight gain
of chicks that were fed diets without supplementary enzyme
decreased significantly (P<0.01) as the dietary fibre level increased
beyond 6% level, average daily feed intake increased significantly
(P<0.01) at the 7 and 8% dietary fibre levels. Chicks fed 6% crude fibre
diet with enzyme supplementation had significantly (P<0.01) higher
average daily weight gain, final body weight and protein efficiency
ratio and lower (P<0.01) cost of feed per kg weight gain than those fed
the control diet.
It was concluded that 6% crude fibre can be included in pullet chicks’
diet without supplementary enzyme and
8%
crude fibre
with supplementary enzyme for normal growth of chicks.
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Keywords:
Pullets fibre; enzyme; growth performance; diets
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To cite this article:
Ani AO and AU Okorie,
2013.
Performance of pullet chicks
fed different levels of dietary fibre and enzyme.
Res.
Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2(1), 6-12. |
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