RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO GRADED LEVELS OF DECORTICATED RAW SANDBOX SEEDS (HURA CREPITANS) AS SOURCE OF METHIONINE

Abstract

A 56-day feeding trial was performed to investigate the use of decorticated sandbox seeds (Hura crepitans) as a source of methionine in broiler production. One hundred and twenty (120) Ross 308 day-old broiler chicks were used in a completely randomized design study with four dietary treatments each replicated thrice. The four diets for each of starter and finisher phase were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous with 0 %, 0.1 %, 0.2 % and 0.3 % inclusion of sandbox seeds (SBS) and designated as D1, D2, D3 and D4, respectively. Data were collected on growth performance, nutrients retention, haematology and serum biochemistry. All data collected were subjected to one-way ANOVA and treatment means were separated. The D2 treatment (0. % DL-Methionine + 0.1 % SBS) was significantly better in terms of total feed intake and weight gain, while the D4 treatment (0.3 % SBS) was significantly worst (2.52) in its effect on FCR. There were no significant differences among the treatments in their effects on nutrient retention. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) among the treatments in their effects on haematological and serum biochemical parameters except the D4 treatment, which was significantly lowest (P < 0.05) in its effect on red blood cell counts and albumin value. It was concluded that the use of decorticated SBS, as a source of methionine in broiler production, has no detrimental effect on nutrient utilization and blood profile.