Authors : C.D. Tuleun, A.Y. Adenkola and M.M. Okenyi
Abstract: A study was conducted to examine the comparative inclusion of graded levels (0, 10, 15 and 20%) of cooked and toasted mucuna seed meal in the diets of broiler chickens. Maize-soybean diet served as the control. About 147 unsexed Anak strain 7 days old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to the seven dietary treatments and each treatment was replicated 3 times. The experiment lasted 9 weeks. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. At the end of the experiment, three birds were randomly selected from each dietary replicate and slaughtered for carcass and haematology evaluation. Results showed no significant difference in all performance parameters studied. Carcass weights of birds fed the control diet and the diets with cooked or toasted mucuna seed meal were similar. The total red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration of broiler on the dietary cooked or toasted mucuna seed meal levels were statistically comparable (p>0.05) with the corresponding diet in the control diet. However, broiler on 15 and 20% inclusion levels of toasted mucuna seed meal had significantly higher packed cell volume and haemoglobin values while the lowest value (p<0.05) was recorded in the group placed on 10% cooked mucuna seed meal. Broilers on dietary toasted mucuna seed meal had similar total protein values with the birds on control diet. It was therefore, concluded that dietary inclusion level of 20% processed mucuna seed meal adequately supported the acceptable growth performance and normal haematology indices of broiler chickens.
C.D. Tuleun, A.Y. Adenkola and M.M. Okenyi, 2011. Evaluation of Cooked and Toasted Velvet Beans (Mucuna pruriens) as Feed Ingredient for Broiler Chickens. Research Journal of Poultry Sciences, 4: 56-61.