Asian Journal of Research in Animal and Veterinary Sciences

This study investigated effects of baobab pulp (Adansonia digitata), Amaranthus hybridus and tiger nut (Cyperus esculenthus) on growth performance, cost-benefit indices and nutrient retention of heat-stressed broilers. The test ingredients were crude sources of vitamins A, C and E functioning as anti-stress for broilers during a hot-dry season. A total of 240 unsexed broiler chicks were used for the study in a completely randomized design (CRD), which lasted for 8 weeks. The birds were allotted to six treatments (each contained 40 chicks) of four replicates each. Test ingredients were included in the starter and finisher diets at 1%. Diet 1 (T₁) served as the control. T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ contained synthetic vitamin C, baobab pulp, amaranthus and tiger nut seed respectively. T₆ contained 0.3% each of baobab, amaranthus and tiger nut. Results from the study revealed that there were significant (P<0.05) differences in the performance indices and the nutrient retained by the birds. Broiler chickens fed baobab pulp (crude source of vitamin C, T₃) had significantly more profit (P<0.05), better final body weight (P<0.05) and crude protein retention (P<0.05) than those fed amaranthus (T₄), tiger nut (T₅) and the mixture of the test ingredients (T₆). Feed conversion ratio was at the best (1.58) in T₃ while T₅ gave the worst (1.64) at 4^th week. Birds fed T₁ gave the best (1.07) feed conversion ratio while T₄ had the worst (1.26) at 8^th week. T₂, T₃ and T₅ had the least (10%) mortality compared with those fed control diet (T₁), amaranthus (T₄) and the mixture (T₆). In conclusion, the study showed that baobab pulp could replace synthetic vitamin C as antioxidant based on growth performance of broilers and its accrued profitability during a hot-dry season in the tropics.