article · Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry
A feeding trial examined replacing maize with a dried blend of rejected mango fruit pulp and maize offal in starter broiler chicken diets. The mixture, combined in a two-to-three ratio and sun-dried, was incorporated at levels between five and twenty percent across two hundred chicks. Laboratory testing confirmed that the blend provides valuable metabolisable energy, crude protein, and minerals. Birds fed diets containing up to fifteen percent of the fruit pulp and offal mixture maintained final body weights, daily weight gains, and feed intake levels comparable to those fed standard maize diets. Growth performance declined only when inclusion reached twenty percent. Using the agricultural by-product mix reduced feed expenditure and improved overall profitability across the trial. Replacing fifteen percent of dietary maize with this mixture provides a cost-effective alternative for rearing starter broilers.
Feed costs represent a major expense in poultry farming, driven by reliance on costly staple grains such as maize. Reusing agricultural wastes, specifically discarded mango fruit pulp and maize processing offal, provides an affordable feed alternative. This strategy cuts production expenses and limits food waste while maintaining bird growth and health during the critical starter phase.
This feeding strategy provides an applied and tested formulation for poultry farmers and livestock feed manufacturers seeking cheaper alternatives to maize. By converting discarded mango fruit pulp and milling residues into poultry rations, producers can immediately lower feed production costs. Because the method relies on simple sun-drying and direct mixing, it is close to real-world use for feed mills and poultry enterprises located near mango processing areas.
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The study was conducted to determine the performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing rejected mango fruit pulp - maize offal mix. The extracted mango pulp was evenly mixed with maize offal (Dusa) in a ratio of 2:3 (RMFP: MOM). The mixture was sun dried for 5 days until moisture of less than 12% was achieved. Five diets were prepared in which RMFP-MOM partially replaced maize at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% representing treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. A total of (200) day-old ROSS chicks averaged 44.24 g were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments, balancing for body weight. Each treatment group made up of forty birds, was replicated four times and each replicate had ten (10) birds in a completely randomized design (CRD). Result of the proximate analysis revealed that, RMFP-MOM contains 9.59 % crude protein, 0.99% ether extract, 3.02 %, moisture, 11.51 % crude fibre, ash was 5.47 %, 75.85 % nitrogen free extract and 3127.79 kcal/kg metabolizable energy. Phytochemicals and minerals found included Phytates (0.13%), tannin (2.53%), mycotoxin (3.76%), citric acid (0.1%), calcium (0.98%) and phosphorus (0.17%) while ADF, NDF and hemicellulose were found at levels of 10.10 %, 45.10% and 35.00 % respectively. Result on performance of the starter broiler chickens revealed significant effects (p<0.05) of RMFP-MOM on final body weight (FBW), daily weight gain (DWG) and daily feed intake (DFI) which all declined at T5 (20 % RMFP-MOM). Result on digestibility showed that, there was significantly lower (p<0.05) digestibility of ether extract in T1 (80.73 %). Cost of feed consumed was significantly lower (p<0.05) at T5. Gross revenue was ₦4000 across treatments while gross profit was higher at T5. Given the nutrients profile of RMFP-MOM as revealed by the result of the proximate analysis, it was inferred that these materials are valuable feedstuff in broiler nutrition as the use of RMFP-MOM in the diets of the broiler chicken up to 15% maintained growth rates at levels comparable to the control. The result of this study also revealed that broiler chickens can be reared at cheaper cost with the inclusion of RMFP-MOM at 15%. It was recommended that, 15 % RMFP-MOM be used in broiler diets.
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DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2025/v11i1376
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