Carcass Characteristics, Visceral Organs and Economics of Production of Finisher Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Decorticated Raw Sandbox Seeds (Hura crepitans) as Source of Methionine

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the response of broiler chickens to graded dietary inclusion of decorticated raw sandbox seeds (SBS) as a source of methionine. Four dietary treatments were formulated to include sandbox seeds at 0%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% and labelled as T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively in a completely randomized design using one hundred and twenty four week-old broilers. Data were collected on final weight, carcass characteristics, weights of internal organs and economics of production. All data collected were subjected to one way ANOVA and treatments means were separated.

There were no significant differences in the effects of the treatments on dressing percentage, relative weights of back, drumsticks and thighs but breast muscle was significantly highest (P<0.05) for treatment T3 (0.2% SBS). Treatment T4 (0.3% SBS) was significantly lowest in its effect on live weight (1513.00g) and dressed weight (1054.50g).  Relative values for the internal organs fall within the normal range and were not affected by the inclusion of the SBS. There was no significant difference in the cost of feed per kilogram but treatment T4 (0.3% SBS) gave the significantly lowest (P<0.05) profit of ₦1033.07 per bird.

It was concluded that dietary inclusion of decorticated sandbox seeds up to 0.3% without synthetic methionine has no detrimental effect on carcass characteristics and internal organs of broiler chickens. Sandbox seeds can serve as a good source of methionine in broiler production.