Effect of pawpaw (Carica papaya Linn) leaf meal on performance and carcass quality of broiler chickens

Abstract

One hundred and fifty (150) broiler chickens of ROSS 308 strain at day-old were used to study the effect of pawpaw (Carica papaya) leaf meal (PLM) on performance and carcass indices. The birds were weighed on arrival and divided into five dietary groups. Each group comprised of thirty (30) birds which were subdivided into three replicates of ten (10) birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Five experimental diets comprising T1 (control diet) 0.0 % pawpaw leaf meal (PLM), T2 (0.2 % fresh dried PLM), T3 (0.4 % fresh dried PLM), T4 (0.2 % in situ dried PLM) and T5 (0.4 % in situ dried PLM) were formulated and fed to the birds at the starter period of 0 – 28 days and finisher period of 28 – 56 days. Results at the starter phase showed that daily feed intake was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by dietary inclusion of fresh dried PLM at the 0.4 % level. Average total feed intake and cost of total feed intake were significantly (P < 0.05) affected at the finisher phase with the costs corresponding to the intakes, and the 0.2 % in situ dried PLM group having higher values. At the overall trial period (starter – finisher period) daily feed intake was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the 0.2 % in situ dried PLM group. Carcass and organ indices were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary inclusion of PLM. It was concluded that higher total feed intake with its corresponding higher cost of total feed intake and without appreciable weight gain cancels the advantage of feeding the 0.2 % in situ dried PLM. All diets were, therefore, equal in terms of performance.