Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Science, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
Amaefule, K.U., Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Science, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria; Ukpanah, U.A., Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Science, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria; Ibok, A.E., Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Science, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
Performance of starter broilers fed raw Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] Seed Meal (PSM) diets supplemented with lysine and or methionine was determined with 270 unsexed broilers. The experimental design was 2 x 4 factorial in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with each dietary treatment replicated three times and 10 broilers per replicate. The factors were inclusion level of raw PSM (30 and 40%) and amino acid supplementation (no supplementation, lysine, methionine and lysine + methionine). There was a conventional maize-soybean diet as positive control while raw PSM without supplementation was the negative control. Lysine and methionine supplementation were 0.10 and 0.25%, respectively. Performance criteria measured were weight gain, feed intake, Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and live weight at 4'h week. Results showed that broilers fed methionine or lysine + methionine supplemented diets had significantly (p<0.05) higher live weight, live weight gain, feed intake and significantly (p<0.05) lower protein intake than broilers fed diet supplemented with lysine. Amino acid supplementation significantly (p<0.05) affected only live weight and daily weight gain of broilers. The diet of 40% raw PSM significantly (p<0.05) increased cost per kg feed and daily feed cost more than 30% PSM diet. It was concluded that starter broilers could be fed up to 40% raw Pigeon Pea Seed Meal (PSM) diet without adverse effect on performance of starter birds. However, the diet of 30% PSM should be supplemented with methionine and that of 40% with lysine + methionine. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2011.