Abstract

Modern poultry production is based on manipulation of genetics and environmental

factors that affect intensively farmed poultry. This includes feeding well balanced and

hygienically produced feeds to highly productive lines of birds. Feed formulation

involves combining different ingredients in proportions necessary to provide the

animal with proper amount of nutrients needed at a particular production stage. Green

leafy vegetables are rich sources of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and

antioxidants and the cheapest in terms of affordability and most abundant source of

proteins. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the effect of vegetable-

based feed on the nutritive quality of broiler meat. Fifty-day old broiler chicks were

randomly distributed into two groups (25 chicks per group). One group was

administered with experimental (vegetable-based) diet and the other group with

standard (commercial broiler starters) diet. The experimental diet was formulated to

contain the same composition with control diet substituting pumpkin leaves, pawpaw

and banana in place of lysine, methionine and vitamin pre-mix. The trial-and-error

method of feed formulation was adopted during preparation of experimental feed.

Results from proximate analysis revealed a significant (P<0>

(15.75 ± 0.14%) and moisture content (23.3± 2.36%) in vegetable-based formulated

feed than the crude protein (9.63 ± 0.13%) and moisture content (16.7 ± 2.23%) of the

control feed. The ash (10.0 ± 4.08%) and fat (2.5 ± 0.78%) composition of both the

standard and vegetable-based feeds were found to be similar. At the end of 6-week

treatment, there was no significant difference in the mean weight of birds’ organs

(head, gizzard, heart, lung, small intestine, large intestine, upper limbs) examined.

However, the weight of limb and lung of the experimental group were lower

compared to the control group. The total serum cholesterol and mean fat content of

heart, gizzard and muscles of the vegetable fed birds were found to be significantly

lower (P<0>0.05) in plasma-protein and

muscle protein content between the treatment groups. Nevertheless, birds fed with

vegetable formulated feed exhibited higher rate of feed conversion expressed as

muscle protein weight (118.2 ± 16.34 g) and body weight gained (7.1 ± 1.74 g) than

control group muscle protein weight (90.3 ± 23.18 g) and body weight gained (4.99 ±

1.66 g). This study, therefore, indicates that low fat and high protein meat can be

obtained from birds fed with the experimental vegetable formulated feeds.