Growth performance, carcass indices and blood profile of broiler chickens fed tiger nut residue

A total of two-hundred-and-forty day old broiler chicks were used to study the response of broiler birds to diets containing graded levels of tiger nut residue (TNR) as a replacement for maize. The diets consisted of 0, 10, 20 and 30% of TNR as a replacement for maize as T1 (control), T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The birds were allotted to four dietary treatments of 4 replicates each containing 60 and 15 birds respectively in a completely randomized design. The data obtained from the experiment were subjected to one - way analysis of variance. The results showed that average weight gain (AWG) and final weight gain (FWG) were high for birds fed 10% TNR and increased numerically than the 0, 20 and 30% groups at the starter phase. In the finisher phase the average weight gain (AWG) and final weight gain (FWG) followed the same trend. Feed intake was not significantly affected by the diet at the starter and finisher phases. In the starter phase the T1 (control) recorded the best and the lowest feed conversion ratio but in the finisher phase, the best feed conversion ratio was observed in T2. The TNR inclusion had no significant (p˃0.05) effect on live weight, dressed weight, dressing percentage, cut-parts and organs of the birds. The haematological parameters were not significantly (p˃0.05) affected by the diets. All the biochemical parameters determined; serum protein, albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, ALT, AST, cholesterol and triglyceride were not significantly (p˃0.05) affected by the treatment diet. It was concluded that tiger nut residue (TNR) as a replacement for maize at a 30% level of inclusion did not cause any deleterious effects on the performance, carcass and blood profiles of broilers