Unconventional Homogenized Vegetable Meal (HVM) Feed Ingredients on Skin Pigmentation and Weight Gain of Broiler Chickens

A feeding trial was undertaken to investigate the effects of unconventional homogenized (HVM) feed ingredients on skin pigmentation and weight gain of broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) Arbor Acres day – old- chicks (DOCs) of straight – run were used for this study. They were reared to one week of age following standard procedures and strict bio-security measures, using commercial feed before placing them on experimental diets. Birds were randomly assigned to five treatments with twenty-four (24) birds per treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Each treatment was further replicated four times with six birds per replicate. Eachreplicate was housed in a 2 x 3 m pen on a deep litter. The birds received water and feed ad libitum starting from 7.00 am daily for 56 days of feeding trial. The treatment groups were assigned to the different treatment diets so that the control group received a diet containing zero HVM, while others received the corresponding HVM inclusion levels consisting of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10% proportions. The result of broiler birds fed homogenized unconventional feed ingredients (HVM) on the shank (skin) pigmentation score recorded no significant difference (P>.05) between treatment T1 and T2 (HVM=0% and HVM= 2.5%). However, differences among treatments T3, T4 and T5 (HVM= 5%, HVM=7.5% and HVM=10%) were significantly better (P=.05) than birds on T1 and T2. The result equally shows no significant difference (P>.05) on the mean change in life weight of birds across all treatments. However, the mean weight gain increases as the inclusion of HVM increases across the treatments, except in treatment 3. Results of feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) showed no significant difference (P>.05) across all treatment. This finding indicates that the increase in the inclusion rate of HVM increases the weight gain.