GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS YIELD, GASTROINTESTINAL INDICATORS AND MEAT QUALITY OF BROILER CHICKENS SUPPLEMENTED VARYING LEVELS OF SIAM WEED (CHROMOLAENA ODORATA) EXTRACT IN DRINKING WATER

A total of 150 one-day-old broiler chicks of Arbor acre strain were used to determine the growth performance, carcass yield, gastrointestinal indicators and meat quality of broiler chickens administered varying levels of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) extract (SWE). After brooding for two weeks, the birds were evenly divided into five treatments after carefully balancing for body weight for a 28-day experimental trial. The five treatments represented a control group (T1: 0 ppm) and four groups of inclusion levels of SWE (T2: 500 ppm T3: 1000 ppm, T4: 1500 ppm and T5: 2000 ppm). Each treatment comprising of 30 chicks had 5 replicates of 6 birds per replicate. On the last day of the study, two birds per replicate were randomly selected, weighed and slaughtered for carcass and breast meat quality analyses. Data obtained were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance using General Linear Model. Results revealed that feed intake was significantly (p < 0.05) highest in birds in the T4 group and lowest in their counterparts in the T2 group. However, the best FCR was recorded in birds in the T2 group. Breast significantly (P = 0.003) ranged from 15.31 % in birds in T5 to 24.37 % recorded in birds of the T1 group. Proventriculus values significantly (P = 0.005) ranged from 0.41 % in birds of the T5 group to 0.67 % in birds of the T2 group. Furthermore, panellists score for breast meat colour was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the control than meats from birds administered varying SWE levels. Saltiness was ranked significantly (p < 0.05) highest in theT4 group, while overall acceptability was significantly (p < 0.05) highest in T2 and T4 groups. In conclusion, improved FCR and proventriculus weight, with excellent sensorial acceptability of breast meat of broiler chickens can be achieved via administration of 500 ppm SWE.