DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2014.v02i01.006

Pages: 33-38

This research was carried out to assess the effectiveness of different level of inclusion of dried and grinded powered Aspilia africana leaf on the performance and quality of broiler chickens in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted for 12weeks and it was conducted on 120 day-old chick of Arbo ache broiler strain which were divided into four different dietary group (A, B, C and Control) with (50g, 60g, 70g and 0g respectively)/kg of feed. Data were obtained on performance characteristics (feed intake (g), weight gain (g) and feed to gain ratio), quality assessment (primal cuts, visceral organs and organoleptic properties). Performance characteristics revealed that birds on 70g/kg of feed showed the highest feed intake and weight gain, comparable to the control. Birds on 60g/kg of feed had the lowest feed intake and weight gain. Carcass characteristics also revealed that birds on 70g/kg of feed was significantly (P<0.05) better compared to the control, however, an exception was seen in the defeathered weight with inclusion of Aspiliaafricana had no effect on it. The lowest (p>0.05)value was observed in birds on control for the back meat. For the organ weight, there was a dramatic influence of broiler fed Aspilia africana inclusion in their feed when compared with the control. The eating qualities were generally lower than that of control; this might be because of the presence of tannin in the leave of Aspilia africana.