Use of DietaryLeucaena l eucocephala Leaf Meal in Pellet Form on ProductionPerformance and Carcass Quality of Broiler Chickens

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Saichon Lerdsuwan
Warrapong Nalinanon

Abstract

      This study was to investigate the production performance and carcass quality of broilers supplemented with LLM in form of dietary pellet, at the levels of 0% (control), 5% and 10%. The total of 120, one-day old Ross 308 broiler chicks, were randomly assigned to 3 groups with 4 replicates of 10 chicks (5 males, 5 females) in CRD. The study was conducted for 42 days. At the end of the study, 4 chicks were randomly selected from each group (male chicks from rep No. 1 and 2, females from rep No. 3 and 4). The result revealed that during starter period (chicks age 1-21 days old), groups fed with 5% and 10% LLM showed significantly higher BWG, ADG and FI than the control group (p < 0.05). In the finisher period (during 22-42 days old) and throughout the experiment (during 1-42 days old), the group that was fed with 10% LLM showed higher production performance than other groups, except for FCR and mortality rate in all stages. However, 5% and 10% LLM in diet caused higher FCG (1.45-4.08 Baht/kg weight gain) than the control group. There was no significant difference in carcass quality, except for thigh meat which was significantly higher in the group that fed with 10% LLM than the control and 5% LLM groups (p < 0.05)

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Research Articles