Effect of inclusion of Moringa leaf meal and pelleting of the ration on the performance of broilers
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to study the effects of pelleting and Moringa oleifera leaf meal
supplementation on the performance of broiler chicken. One hundred sixty, one day old chicks, were
randomly divided into 4 treatment groups having 4 replicates each, and each replicate had 10 birds. The
control group (T1) was offered basal diet with antibiotics in mash form; T2 group was fed basal diet
with antibiotics in pellet form; while birds in T3 group were offered ration having 5% Moringa oleifera
leaf meal (MOLM) without antibiotics in mash form and T4 group ration had 5% Moringa oleifera leaf
meal without antibiotics in pellet form. During the feeding trial of 42 days, feed intake and body weight
changes were recorded. At the end of feeding trial, a metabolism trial of five days duration was
conducted during which samples of feed offered, residue left and faeces voided were collected. For
carcass evaluations, one bird from each dietary treatment was sacrificed. The average feed intake
(g/bird) during overall period (0 to 42 day) did not differ significantly among groups. Average body
weight gain (g/bird) in all the three growth phases differed significantly (P<0.05) and maximum body
weight gain (2281.32) was recorded in group (T4) supplemented with 5% Moringa oleifera leaf meal in
pellet form. Similar trend was observed in respect of feed conversion ratio, carcass traits, DM
metabolizability, nitrogen metabolizability and gross energy metabolizability. Quality of the breast and
thigh muscles in terms of crude protein (21.97, 17.11) and ether extract (5.52, 6.76) also improved
significantly (P<0.05) in T4 group. Hematological parameters (Hb, TEC and lymphocyte) increased
significantly (P<0.05), while TLC and heterophils decreased (P<0.05) in T4, T3 and T2 as compared to
the control group. A significant (P<0.05) reduction in serum total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides
levels and increase in HDL was also observed in Moringa supplemented groups (T4 and T3) as
compared to the antibiotic supplemented groups (T1 and T2). MOLM supplemented groups (T4 and T3)
resulted in significant (P<0.05) decrease in E.coli count and increase in Lactobacilli count as compared
to T1 and T2 groups. Antioxidant enzymes (SOD and Catalase) activity was also significantly higher
(P<0.05) in MOLM supplemented group in pelleted form (T4) followed by T3, T2 and T1 group. Villus
height: intestinal crypts depth of the experimental birds ranged from 4.47µm (T1) to 6.30 µm (T4) and
significantly (P<0.05) higher effect was observes in the groups supplemented with MOLM. Thus, it can
be inferred from the results of this study that inclusion of 5% MOLM in pellet form had better effect on
body weight gain, FCR, carcass traits and antioxidant enzyme activity besides being better in terms of
feeding cost per kg gain in broilers.