A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON GROWTH RESPONSE OF BROILER FINISHERS FED WITH PROCESSED MOTTLE MUCUNA BEANS (Mucuna prurien s var utilis)

Abstract

Mottle "Mucuna" beans (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis) were processed to improve the nutritive value for broiler chickens. The beans obtained from local farmers were soaked in water for 48 hours, dehulled by hand and cooked for one hour to eliminate or reduce the adverse effects of the anti-nutritional factors. One hundred and thirty five (135) chicks (Lohman strain), at 28 days of age, were randomly divided into 9 groups (10 males, 5 females per group) and fed up to 49 days of age. They were fed diets (20% CP, 13 MJME/kg) incorporating 0%, 5% and 10% processed mottle "Mucuna" beans. A completely randomized design was used. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. The parameters measured included feed intake, live weight gain, feed/gain ratio, mortality, feed cost and dressing percentage. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the general linear model. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in mean daily feed intake (100.0, 102.5, 97.5 g/bird), total live weight gain (1,250.0, 1,262.3, 1,136.3 g/bird), final live weight (1.977.0, 1,989.0. 1,863.0 g/bird), feed/gain ratio (2.3, 2.5, 2.4), dressing percentage (79.1, 77.5, 78.5), dress weight (1,563.0, 1,490.0, 1,463.0 g/bird) and feed cost per kg gain (3,239.00, 3,223.00, 3,273.00 ¢/bird). There was no mortality. Feed cost (4,084.00, 4,064.00. 3,785.00 e/bird) was significantly reduced (P<0.05) by 7.3% when the beans were incorporated in the finisher diet at 10% level. Based on these results, the processed mottle "Mucuna" beans can be incorporated in broiler finisher diets up to 10% without adverse effect on growth performance. The lise of the processed beans can also spare some of the maize (9%), soybean meal (10%) and fish meal (50%) in the finisher diet with 7.3% saving on feed cost.