Phytoadditive effects of breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) leaf meals on performance and nutrient digestibility of Broiler chickens

The rising concern over antibiotic resistance has sparked interest in alternative, natural solutions to promote the performance and health of poultry. Breadnut and breadfruit leaf meals have emerged as potential phyto-additives that replace antibiotics in animal feeds and feeding. Two hundred and fifty-two Arbor Acres a-day-old broiler chickens were used to study the phyto-additive effect of breadnut and breadfruit leaves on their growth performance at 6weeks. The birds were weighed and distributed into seven treatments of thirty-six birds each, with four Replicates of nine birds each involving two different leaves of Artocarpus (breadnut leaves and breadfruit leaves) and three (3) supplementation levels. (Basal diet with 3, 6, 9g breadnut leaf meal and Basal diet with 3, 6, 9g breadfruit leaf meal) in a two-by-three factorial arrangement with a control. The data collected on performance characteristics and nutrient digestibility were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Results shows that Treatment 3 (6g breadnut meal per kilogram of feed) had a higher (p < 0.05) final weight (1909.75g), daily weight gain (44.44g), and the lowest FCR (1.52) compared to other treatments. The feed cost per kilogram of weight gain in Treatment 3 (6g breadnut meal per kilogram of feed) was a lower value of ₦ 830.32 (p < 0.05). Broilers fed 3g breadnut leaf meal had higher (P<0.05) dry matter digestibility and crude protein digestibility value (81.04% and 92.46%, respectively). In comparison, broiler chickens fed 9g breadnut leaf meal had lower (P<0.05) dry matter and crude protein digestibility values of 65.88% and 85.89%, respectively. It can be concluded that feeding broiler chickens a diet supplemented with breadnut and breadfruit leaf meal as phytogenic additives improves weight gain and feed conversion ratio, particularly when 6g of breadnut leaf meal is added per kg of diet. This enhances the overall performance of the broiler chickens without the use of synthetic antibiotics.