Effect of dietary Moringa oleifera seed meal inclusion on performance and carcass quality of female Ross 308 broiler chickens Ng'ambi Jones Wilfred, Molepo Lephai S., Ginindza Muzi Mandla* Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production, University of Limpopo, P/Bag X1106, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa *Corresponding author's e-mail: muziginindza@gmail.com
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of decorticated Moringa oleifera seed meal inclusion level on productivity and meat characteristics of female Ross 308 broiler chickens aged 21 to 42 days. The chickens were fed ad libitum isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets but with differing seed meal inclusion levels of 0 (M0), 5 (M5), 10 (M10), 15 (M15) and 20 (M20) g/kg DM, in a complete randomized design. Seed meal inclusion had no effect (P>0.05) on intake, growth and live weight but it improved (P<0.05) nitrogen retention of the chickens. Similarly, seed meal inclusion had no effect (P>0.05) on meat nitrogen, ash, pH and colour but it improved (P<0.05) lipid and energy contents of the meat. The results indicate that meat lipids, energy, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tenderness, juiciness and flavour were optimized at different seed meal inclusion levels of 11.10, 12.96, 12.67, 7.50, 15.50 and 19.50 g/kg DM, respectively. Top Keywords Broiler chickens, Metabolisable energy, Moringa oleifera seed meal, Growth, Meat fatty acid contents, Meat sensory attributes. Top |