EFFECT OF STRAIN ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND ORGAN ANALYSIS OF BROILER CHICKENS SUPPLEMENTED WITH AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF BITTER LEAF TO DRINKING WATER

Investigating the impact of strain on the growth performance, carcass and organ parameters of broiler chickens supplemented with aqueous extract of bitter leaf to drinking water was the aim of this study. The poultry unit of the Department of Animal Production and Health's Teaching and Research Farm at Federal University Oye Ekiti in Ekiti State, Nigeria, served as the study's site. 153-day-old broiler chicks were purchased from a commercial hatchery (Mhido farms) (51 Cobb-500 (CBR), 51 Ross-308 (RSR), and 51 Arbor acres(AAR), respectively). These were raised in a 3 by 3 fully randomized design trial and given the same commercial feed along with an aqueous bitter leaf extract at a rate of 25 millilitres per litre of drinking water on an as-needed basis for eight weeks. Growth performance records were taken on weekly basis and organ and carcass analysis were carried out at the end of the study. The highest (p<0.05) weight gain was recorded by CBR with 2536.6g while AAR had the lowest mean value of 2359.5g. Increase significant differences (p<0.05) were also observed in shank, back and drumstick weights across all the strains with CBR recording highest significant mean values of 114.2g and 319.5g in shank and drumstick, respectively and back weight of 376g in RSR.The results revealed that, the inclusion of bitter leaf extract in the drinking water of broiler chickens had a positive effect on growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics.