;

EFFECT OF VARYING LEVELS OF PAWPAW LEAF MEAL (Carica papaya) ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF FINISHING BROILERS

By

Abstract

Sixty “day old” broiler chickens were used to evaluate the growth performance, haematological parameters, organ characteristics and meat quality of broiler birds fed, pawpaw leaf meal (PLM). The birds were divided into four treatments with three replicates per treatment. Each replicate contained five birds. Broiler finisher rations were formulated in which PLM was incorporated at levels of 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.0% in the control (T1), T2, T3 and T4 diets respectively. The diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous containing 2850kcal ME/ Kg and 20% CP Daily feed intake in grams per bird per day (g/b/d) Daily Body Weight gain (g/b/d), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and Feed cost per kilogram gain in Naira (N) were determined. Four birds were slaughtered at the end of the 10th week of birds’ age for meat strength and organoleptic determinations.