EVALUATION OF CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERNAL ORGANS OF BROILER BIRDS IN RESPONSE TO VARYING DIETARY ENERGY AND PROTEIN LEVELS

Abstract

A seven-week period trial was carried out to study the effect of varying dietary energy and protein levels on carcass quality and organs weight of broilers reared in Uyo, the southern rainforest of Nigeria. A total of 480 day-old broiler chicks of Abor Acre strain were allocated to sixteen treatment groups which consisted of thirty birds per group, further sub divided into 3 replicates with 10 birds per sub group. The experiment lasted for seven weeks. Sixteen (16) diets were formulated comprising four (4) metabolizable energy levels (2800, 3000, 3200 and 3400kcalME/kgDM) and four (4) protein levels (18, 20, 22 and 24% CP). The data obtained from the research was subjected to descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) of 4x4 factorial arrangement and the means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) of GENSTAT (2005). Results obtained showed that highest live weight, plucked weight and dressed weight was observed in birds fed diet containing 3400kcal ME/kgDM and 24% CP while the least values were from birds fed diet having 2800kcalME/kgDM and 18% CP.