Abstract:

An experiment was conducted with 120 seven days old Vencobb commercial broiler chicks and continued up to 42 days of age to determine the feasibility of Azolla (Azolla pinnata) as a feed ingredient in broiler ration.

The broilers are randomly allotted to four dietary treatments; T (control diet without Azolla meal), T (diet with 5% Azolla meal), T (diet with 10% Azolla 1 2 3 meal) and T (diet with 15% Azolla meal) diets replacing sesame meal by Azolla meal. The composition of Azolla meal contained 4 25.78% crude protein, 15.71% crude fibre, 3.47% ether extract, 15.76% ash and 30.08% nitrogen free extract on the air-dry basis.

Live weight, production number and protein efficiency were (P< 0.01) significantly improved at the level off 5% Azolla meal in broiler ration. Feed conversion ratio and energy efficiency were significantly (P< 0.01) improved in diet with 5% Azolla meal and control diet.

Total cost Tk/kg broiler was significantly (P<0.05) better in the diet with 5% Azolla meal. Dressing percentage was significantly (P<0.01) increased on diet with 5% Azolla meal. Giblet percentage on dietary treatment T4 significantly (P<0.05) increased than other treatments.

It is concluded that the use of up to 5% Azolla meal in a broiler ration may help improve performance This inclusion rate in a broiler diet is also determined a safe level. Azolla meal had no deleterious effect on the palatability of broiler diets.

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Source: International Journal of Poultry Science 1 (1): 29-34, 2002

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