Effects of incorporating rubber seed meal supplemented with blood meal in broiler rations under traditional conditions

Nouke and H.N. Endeley
C.R.Z. Wakwa, B.P. 65, Ngaoundere-Cameroon
Ministere de l'Enseignement Superieur et de la
Recherche Scientifique (M.E.S.R.E.S.)
Direction Generale, Yaounde, Cameroon

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and methods
Experimental Rations
Results and discussion
Conclusion and recommendations
References

Abstract

A trial was carried out to investigate the effects of the incorporation of rubber seed meal supplemented with blood meal as sources of plant and animal protein on the performance, feed intake and the carcass of poultry birds from day-old chicks to 12 weeks under traditional system of management.

Unsexed 300 Jupiter chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups each of 75 birds. Four diets representing different levels of rubber seed meal (RSM) and blood meal (BM):- R0 with 0% RSM and 0% BM; R10 with 10% RSM and 8% BM; R20 with 20% RSM and 6% BM and R30 with 30% RSM and 4% BM were fed ad libitum throughout the experimental period. Results showed significant differences between treatments indicating the superiority of the diet supplemented with 30% RSM and 4% BM.

Introduction

During the past years the world's population has greatly suffered from food problems, and more particularly from protein deficiency in the diet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (F.A.O., 1982) a third of humanity suffers from quantitative malnutrition. This is crucial in Africa where the daily ration of 11 grammes of protein is far from the physiological minimum of 30 grammes as recommended by the F.A.O. In order to solve this problem of animal protein deficiency, developing countries have to improve on their animal husbandry. This could be done by good managerial techniques, and by improving the plane of nutrition. Alternative sources of feed ingredients should be found which are not utilised by the human population and which, at present, might not have found wider use in animal feeding.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the incorporation of rubber seed meal supplemented with blood meal as source of protein in broiler rations in replacement of cottonseed cake and groundnut cake under stimulated traditional management conditions on chicken growth, feed consumption, efficiency of feed utilisation, mortality rates and the characteristics of the carcass often slaughtered.

Materials and methods

These studies were conducted in the teaching research farm of the National Advanced School of Agriculture (N.A.S.A) at Nkolbisson (Yaounde, Cameroon).

Animal material and lodging

Unsexed 300 Jupiter day-old chicks weighing an average of 36.24±4.01 g were used in this study.

These chicks were randomly divided into 4 groups each of 75 chicks corresponding to 3 levels of experimental rations and a control group. The groups were shared into identical lodges measuring 4x2 meters made of wood, the roof covered with zinc and a concrete floor covered with wood sharings. Around each lodge was a pasture surrounded with wire meeting. Heating during the starter period was done using two paraffin lamps per lodge.

Experimental Rations

Preparation of blood meal

The used blood was collected from the Central Abattoir in Yaounde immediately after cattle were slaughtered. After collection, the blood was boiled immediately in a cask for 45 or 60 minutes in order to let water evaporate and destroy any parasites. After boiling it was then dried in an oven at 6883°C for 5 to 6 days, and then ground into flour.

Preparation of rubber seed meal

The rubber seeds were bought from the local market. After manual decortication, the kernels were boiled for 45 min. to reduce the potential toxicity. They were then dried at 55°C for 72 hours and later ground into brown flour.

Diet formulation and chemical composition of these diets are presented in Table 1 and 2, respectively.

Table 1. Composition (%) of the experimentals diets.

Diet ingredients	R0	R10	R20	R30
Maize	60	50	36	24
Wheat bran	8	20	26	30
Concentrate	10	10	10	10
Cottonseed cake	10	-	-	-
Groundnut cake	10	-	-	-
Rubber seed meal	-	10	20	30
Blood meal	-	8	6	4
Phosphate dialcaline	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Salt	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Total	100	100	100	100

Table 2. Chemical composition of the experimental rations (calculated).

Composition (%)	Rations
	R0	R10	R20	R30
Dry matter	88.36	87.05	88.30	88.66
Crude protein	20.70	21.20	21.00	20.00
Crude fiber	3.70	2.34	2.47	2.58
E.M.A.	4.72	7.20	10.74	14.32
Ash	5.37	5.05	5.28	5.47
Ca	1.25	1.28	1.28	1.21
P	0.86	0.84	0.89	0.98
Energy (car)	2846	2986	3030	3115

N.B. R0 ration with 0% of rubber seed cake and 0% of blood meal.

R10 Ration with 10% of rubber seed meal (RSM) and 8% of blood meal (BM).

R20 Ration with 20% of RSM and 6% of BM.

R30 Ration with 30% of RSM and 4% of BM.

Management

Each experimental group was offered its corresponding diet ad libitum and they had free access to water. Hygienic conditions were followed to keep the drinkers and feeders always clean.

Feeds offered were weighed. At the end of the week the residues were weighed and deduced from the introduced amounts. The chickens were weighed weekly before being given food. All mortality cases were registered.

Carcass analysis

After the three-month experimental period, five chickens were taken from each group for carcass analysis. The following measurements were taken into account:

-Weight of blood

-Weight of edible carcass

-Chemical composition.

Data collected were statistically analysed using the randomised complete design, while significantly different means were identified using the Duncan Multiple Range test (Steel and Torrie, 1960).

Results and discussion

Chicken growth

a. Starter period

Table 3 presents the weekly weights of birds on each of the experimental diets. The highest growth was achieved on the control diet followed by diets R30, then R20 and R10. Statistical analysis revealed significant treatment effects on the growth performance of the birds (P<0.05).

It was observed that at the end of the experiment (12th week), the trend of growth noticed during the starter period persisted during this period with groups R0 and R30 having higher average weekly body weights. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the average weekly weights in each treatment (P<0.05) as shown in Table 3.

Results obtained in this study showed that average weekly body weight increased with increasing levels of RSM during the starter and grower periods. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences between treatments. Buvanendran and Siriwardence (1970) reported that as incorporation levels of RSM went up to 30%; growth decreased. Rajaguru et al (1971); Tchounken (1982) and Nzumo (1983) also reported that growth decreased as RSM incorporation levels increased in poultry rations.

Table 3. Average weekly weights (g/bird) over the experimental period.

In columns 6 and 12 scripts with the same letters are not significantly different at P < 0.05 levels.

Average weekly body weight gain

Table 4 showed that during the first 6 weeks the higher average weight gains were noticed in treatment R0 (control) followed by groups R30 and R20. No statistical differences (P<0.05) among treatments were observed, but the lowest average weight gain was recorded in treatment R10. During the second 6 weeks R0 continued as the superior treatment followed by R20 then R30. Statistical analysis showed that higher weight gains were obtained in treatment R0 and the lowest in R10 but these differences were not significant. (Table 4). The total weight gain over the whole period showed significant differences between treatments R0; R20 and R30 (P<0.05). The individual weekly weight gains showed no significant differences between the four treatments except in group R10. These results agree with those of capital et al (1971).

Table 4. Average weekly body weight gain (g/poulet/week).

	Starter period	Finition period	Entire period
Diets	1st-6 th week	7th-12 th week	1st-12 th week
R0	103.71±65.64a	270.75±243.13a	194.92±99.45a
R10	33.87±21.45b	180.45±47.55b	121.82±81.84b
R20	66.33±39.48a	224.53±47.13a	15262±12.84b
R30	68.56±37.71a	222.49±47.72a	152.52±88.10b

N.B. In column, numbers script with the same letter are not significantly different at P<0.05 level.

Feed consumption

Feed consumption increased when rate of blood meal decreased in the diets (Table 5). During the first period (1st-6th week) the group without seed meal recorded higher feed consumption. Statistical analysis revealed a difference between treatments R10 and R20 on the one hand and R30 and R20 on the other. In the 2nd six weeks the same trend of the 1st period continued but without significance.

Table 5. Average weekly feed consumed (kg).

Diets	Starter period	Finition period	Entire period
	1st-12th week	7th-12th week	1st-12th week
R0	289.94±16.47a	980.51±14.17a	622.98±34.01a
R10	130.70±86.43b	620.94±20.33b	398.10±29.20b
R20	189.00±81.88bc	616.67±14.22b	421.82±24.42bc
R30	209.98±16.68c	71619±1065c	48609±2754c

N.B. In column, numbers script with the same letter are not significantly different at P<0.05 level.

Over the whole experimental period, it was confirmed that the blood meal combined with rubber seed meal had a depressing effect on feed consumption; a finding that agrees with Spring and Day (1981).

Efficiency of feed utilisation

Table 6 summarises the average weekly feed utilisation efficiency during the trial period. The best feed conversion was noticed in R0 and the lower in R20 with no significant differences between treatments. The present results confirmed those of Rajaguru et al (1971), and Tchounken and Tchouboue (1982). The starter period got the highest mortality (1%, 1, 6%, 0% and 0%) respectively for R0, R10, R20 and R30.

Table 6. Average weekly feed utilisation efficiency.

	Starter period	Finition period	Entire period
Diets	1st-6th week	7th-12th week	1st-12th week
R0	2.90±0.66a	3.42±0.86a	3.19±0.82a
R10	3.87±1.50a	3.41±0.70a	3.59±0.90a
R20	3.32±0.92a	3.47±0.85a	3.40±0.90a
R30	3.05±0.17a	3.39±0.92a	3.23±0.71a

N.B. In column, numbers script with the same letter are significantly different at P£ 0.05 level.

Carcass analysis

a. Edible carcass

The highest average edible carcass weight was recorded on R0 while the lowest was on Diet R10 as shown in Table 7. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between treatments from R20 on the one hand and R30 on the other (P<0.05). Birds from the control group had significantly higher weight than those of the treatments. These results agree well with those of Tadle et al (1955).

Table 7. Edible carcass (kg).

	Replications
Diets	A	B	C	0	E	Mean (g)
R0	2462.70	2377.90	2178.00	2188.50	1996.20	2240.66a
R10	1583.20	1602.30	1999.30	1762.60	1611.30	1631.74b
R20	2128.70	1964.40	2317.80	1733.10	1991.80	2025.17a
R30	2169.60	1653.10	2054.50	1617.80	1617.80	1819.02b

N.B. In column, numbers script with the same letter are not significantly different at P<0.05 level

b. Chemical composition

Chemical analysis of carcass showed that R30 gave the best result in terms of protein content. Fat content varied from 25.36% for R30 to 34.40% for R10 group. It would appear from the results that as rubber seed meal increased in the diets, the protein content of the carcass increased.

Conclusion and recommendations

From the results obtained in this investigation on the effects of incorporation of rubber seed meal (RSM) supplemented with blood meal (BM) as sources of protein in broiler rations under traditional management conditions, it appeared that the diet of 30% RSM supplemented with 4% BM gave the best results without any adverse effects on performance. It might be suggested from the present investigation that in future studies, it would be necessary to deal with the level of RSM supplemented with BM at levels less than 5%. This may provide more information on the effects of incorporation of these by-products in poultry rations.

References

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