Department of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Akinfala, E.O., Department of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria; Komolafe, O.B., Department of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different processing methods on the nutrient composition of broiler litter and its replacement value with palm kernel cake in the diets of weaner pigs on the performance, hematological indices and economics of production of growing pigs for eight weeks. Four experimental diets were formulated. Diet 1 which had 0% processed broiler litter served as the control, while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 20% of ensiled, composted and sun-dried broiler litter respectively. A total of about ten weeks old sixteen weaner pigs (large white x Hampshire) with an initial mean body weight of 8.41 + 2.59kg were used in this study in a completely randomized design. There were four pigs per treatment and each pig represents a replicate. The results of this study showed that the different processing methods of ensiling, composting and sun drying affected (p < 0.05) the nutrient composition of broiler litter especially at the level of crude protein and crude fibre. The results further showed that average final body weight (20.0 - 21.2kg) and feed/gain ratio (2.35 - 2.64) were not affected (p > 0.05) by the dietary treatments. The average daily gain (218 - 246g) with highest value occurring in diet 1 and lowest in diet 4 and average daily feed intake (560 - 578g) with highest value in diet 1 and lowest value in diet 3 were affected (p < 0.05) by the dietary treatments. The hematological indices such as packed cell volume (29 - 33%), red blood cell (6.70 - 7.00 x 10 6/mol 3) and white blood cell (9,600 - 11,800 x 10 3ul) were not affected (p>0.05) by the dietary treatments. The economics of production results obtained showed that it was more economical to raise pigs using broiler litter at 20% of the diet. The results obtained from this study showed that processing methods such as ensiling, composting and sun-drying improved the nutrient composition of broiler litter and more over, processed broiler litter can be included up to 20% in the diet of growing pigs without any deleterious affect on the performance, hematological indices and economics of production in the diet of growing pig in the tropics.