COMPARATIVE CARCASS CHARACTERISTIC OF INDIGENOUS TURKEY POULTS FED DIFFERENT AGRO-INDUSTRLAL BY-PRODUCTS

Abstract

This work was undertaken to evaluate the effect of three agro-industrial by-products on the carcass characteristics of indigenous turkey poults. Sixty indigenous pouts were brooded and fed broiler starter feed for the first 4 weeks of life. At the end of 4 weeks, forty-eight poults were randomly selected and distributed into four treatment diets. Each dietary treatment had twelve pouts with six poults per replicate. The experiment lasted ten weeks. The result showed that pouts fed palm kernel meal had significantly (P40.05) higher body weight (3175.0g) when compared with others (Diet 1 = 2275.0g, Diet 2 = 2425.08,g.Diet 3 = 2625.0g). This same pattern was noticed in the mean dressed weight followed no definite pattern. The replacement of 40% of maize with palm kernel meal in the turkey grower ration proved more advantageous than replacement with wheat 0-1, rice husk and the control diet.