No abstract

This study was designed to determine the chemical and nutritive evaluation of Jatropha Curcas Leaf Meal on the performance of Broiler chicks. Jatropha curcas leaf meal contains 19.51% crude protein but high in crude fibre and also contains some anti-nutritional factors (ANFs). The leaves were harvested, the stalks removed and the leaves chopped to facilitate sun drying for 5 days until they became crispy while still retaining the greenish colouration. The material was milled using a hammer mill with a sieve size of 3.36m to produce leaf meal. The experiments reported in this study were therefore conducted to determine the chemical and nutritive value of Jatropha curcas leaf meal in broiler diets. In the first experiment, the leaf meal so prepared was used to formulate broiler starter diets at 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% dietary levels respectively, using 180, 7-day-old young Marshal broiler chicks with were divided into four groups of 45 birds. Each treatment group was further sub-divided into three replicates of 15 birds. The trial lasted 28 days. In the second experiment, the leaf meal was produced as in experiment one. The leaf meal was used to formulate broiler finisher diets at two dietary levels of 0% and 5.0% inclusion levels respectively using 120, 5-week-old broiler chicks divided into two groups of 60 birds each with three replicates of 20 birds each per treatment. The feeding trial lasted 21 days. At the end of the 21 day, five birds were randomly selected from each treatment for carcass and organ weight evaluation. In both experiments, feed intake of the birds on diets containing the leaf meal were significantly (p<0.05) lower than the control (0%) group except at 2.5% dietary level at the first experiment that compared favourably with the control (0%) group. Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of the birds were not comparable, except also at 2.5% dietary level of the first (starter experiment) which compared favourably with the control (0%) group. The relative organ weights in the second experiment were also not comparable except the heart. Dietary inclusion of Jatropha curcas leaf meal in both experiments reduced feed cost but beyond 2.5% level, cost of meat produced (N/kg) meat increased. The results obtained from these experiments suggests that Jatropha curcas leaf meal should not be incorporated in broiler diets beyond. 2.5% dietary level.