PROSPECTS AND ECONOMICS OF BROILER PRODUCTION USING TWO PLANT PROTEIN SOURCES

Abstract

Cost and returns involved in the intensive system of broiler magement were examined using two main plant protein sources to determine the more profitable of the two or their combination. Sixty-six day-old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were raised on experimental starter diets, (A,B,and C) containing 14% soya bean meal (SBM) with 12.1% groundnut cake (GNC) as control, 26% SBM and 25.7% GNC, respectively. At finisher phase, 14% SBM and 11% GNC, 25% SBM and 24% GNC were used for diets A, B and C, respectively. The experimental diets were supplemented with equal amounts of animal protein sources. The duration of the experiment was eight weeks. Significant (PC 0.05) treatment effect was obtained with mean body weight gain but not with average daily feed intake. Average cost of production of 1kg of feed for both starter and finisher diets was N27.39k. In analyzing the data, descriptive and budgetary techniques were employed. Results indicated that using SBM in intensive broiler management was more profitable than using GNC or combination of the two as was indicated by the net profit, rate of return on investment and benefit-cost ratio. Net profits ofS51.36 and N3.15per bird were recorded on the birds fed with SBM and GNC plus SBM, respectively, while a loss of minus N12.48 was incurred when the birds were fed with only GNC as the main source of plant protein. Rates of return on investment (ROI) were 1.34,20.40 and minus 5.66% and benefit-cost ratios (BCR) were 1.01:1,1.20:1 and 0.94: 1 for broilers fed with SBM plus GNC, SBM and GNC, respectively. Feed utilization accounted for 65.45-69.33% of the total production cost, while day old chicks, medication and labour accounted for 18.95%-21.76%, 4.42%-5.09% and 2.93% - 3.36% respectively. Cost of feeding a broiler at starter and finisher phases were fromPJ40.56 --N51.21 and N98.43 - W124.33, respectively. Cost of feed per kg live weight gain was least'on broilers fed with SBM W81.27 /kg live weight gain) and highest in broilers fed with SBM plus GNC and GNC (N93.86 /kg live weight gain) indication that it was better to feed the birds with good quality feeds for maximum profit.