Abstract

MELESSE, A.; TIRUNEH, W.  and  NEGESSE, T. Effects of feeding Moringa stenopetala leaf meal on nutrient intake and growth performance of Rhode Island Red chicks under tropical climate. Trop. subtrop. agroecosyt [online]. 2011, vol.14, n.2, pp.485-492. ISSN 1870-0462.

The effects oí Moringa stenopetala leaf meal (MSLM) on nutrient intake and weight gain (WG) were evaluated. Forty unsexed Rhode Island Red chicks were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups. The control diet (Tl) (MSLM 0%), the experimental diets contained MSML at a rate of 2% (T2), 4% (T3), and 6% (T4) of the diets (as fed basis) to replace 3%, 5.9% and 8.8% of the crude protein (CP) of the control diet. Daily feed, dry matter and CP intake of the chicks fed MSLM diets were higher (p<0.05) than those fed the control diet. Average weight gain (AWG) of birds fed MSLM diets were higher (p<0.05) than those fed the control diet. Chicks fed T4 showed higher (p<0.05) AWG than those on T2 and T3. Feed efficiency ratio (FER, g gain/g feed intake) and protein efficiency ratio (PER, g gain/g CP intake) were higher for chicks fed MSLM. MSLM elicited no deleterious effects in the birds. The results indicated that MSLM is a potential plant protein supplement and could be included to 6% in the diet of grower chicks to substitute expensive conventional protein sources.

Keywords : Moringa stenopetala leaf meal; Rhode Island Red chicks; nutrient intake; growth performance.

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