Abstract
A four-week feeding trial to study the effects of dietary-treated full-fat ackee apple (Blighia sapida) seed meal (AASM) on performance, nutrients utilization, and some biochemical constituents in cockerel chicks was conducted. One hundred and twenty Olympiad cockerel chicks at day-old were randomly distributed to five dietary treatments in a complete randomized design. The iso-caloric, iso-nitrogenous diets were made of a maize-soya bean reference diet and four other diets containing treated ackee apple seed meal (AASM) at 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0%, respectively. Cockerels fed the control diet or AASM diet with low (2.5%) level had higher feed intake and weight gain compared to the groups on AASM inclusion at high (10.0%) levels (P < 0.05). There was no mortality of birds offered the AASM-based diets. Nutrients utilization (protein, fat, and mineral matter) on diets containing treated AASM was normal and comparable to the conventional diet (P > 0.05). There was no significant effect in blood glucose level in birds receiving AASM in diets, and the control diet and the excretion of uric acid by birds fed the test feedstuff in diets was not influenced (P > 0.05), compared to the reference diet. However, there was reduction in total protein, albumin, and globulin in cockerels fed AASM at higher levels (P < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding AASM at 10.0% in diet has no adverse effect on the performance and nutrient utilization. Further research will be carried out to increase the inclusion level of AASM in diet.
