Effect of substituting peanut cake for soybean cake in the ration on broiler growth performance

Between January and April 2023, a study was conducted at the Ferme de Espoir de Baten’ll chieferies with the aim of evaluating the effects of the total substitution of soybean meal by peanut meal on growth performance and production costs. The general objective of this work was to contribute to the improvement of knowledge on the search for alternative resources through economic formulations for the improvement of the diet of broiler chickens. For this, two fair bands of 1500 broiler chicks of the Hubbard strain and respective average weights of 37 ± 0.09 g and 43 ± 0.03 g were used. These two bands followed for a period of seven weeks were subjected to two separate rations. The first band received a ration containing soybean cake (R1) and the second, a ration based on groundnut meal (R2). Weight gain and live weight throughout the rearing period were high in subjects receiving peanut meal, while feed consumption and feed conversion remained low in animals receiving ration with peanut cake. On the other hand, whatever the type of ration, no significant difference was observed with carcass weight 2, head weight, liver, pancreas and abdominal fat. Similarly, no ration had a significant effect on the weight of the gizzard, the intestine and on the density of the intestine. Intestine length (225.75 ± 22.40) increased significantly with soybean meal. The cost of food consumption (1537.7 FCFA) and the cost of production per kilogram of chicken (848.8 FCFA) were lower with the ration containing groundnut cake. The results of this study showed that in the event of a shortage of soybean cake, a total substitution for peanut cake can be made without fear because the rations with peanut cake make it possible to increase weight gain at a lower cost.