Evaluation of Leucaena leaf meal for broiler growth and pigmentation

Abstract

Sixty-four boilers were assigned at random to four dietary groups at 22 days of age. A low pigment (LP) basal diet was formulated using wheat, soybean meal and groundnut oil. The LP diet was fed alone or supplemented with two levels (50 and 100 g kg-1) of Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal (LLM), or with yellow maize at 500 g kg-1. These supplements were added at the expense of wheat in the LP diet. Growth of chicks was severely reduced by the higher inclusion rate of LLM, but efficiency of food utilization declined with both levels of LLM supplements of LLM and to a lesser degree with addition of maize.