TOPIC:
RESPONSE OF GROWING TURKEYS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2) WITH OR WITHOUT PROTEASE ENZYME
NAME: MORAKINYO JOHN OLADOTUN
YEAR OF ADMISSION: 2014
SESSION: 2014/2015
PG NUMBER: PG/13/0793
PROGRAMME: LIVESTOCK SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT OPTION
DEGREE AWARDED: M.AgSE
DATE OF DEFENCE: 22/05/2017
ABSTRACT
Turkey production in Nigeria is rapidly transforming from a backyard activity into a modern, scientific and vibrant farming with attention given to its nutritional aspects. This study determined the response of growing turkeys to diets supplemented with riboflavin (vitamin B2) with or without protease enzyme. Eighty turkey poults at 56-days of age were allotted on weight equalization basis to 4 dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. Each treatment had 20 poults which were further divided into four replicates of 5 birds each. Diet 1 (control) consisted of the basal diet, diet 2 was a basal diet + 6mg/kg Riboflavin, diet 3 had basal diet + 1000mg/kg protease enzyme while diet 4 contained basal diet + 6mg/kg riboflavin + 1000mg/kg protease enzyme. Feed and water were supplied ad-libitum. Data on growth performance, feed cost benefits, apparent nutrient digestibility and energy metabolisability, haematology and serum indices and carcass characteristics were collected and subjected to one way ANOVA in a Completely Randomized Design. Results showed that, experimental diets had no significant (p>0.05) influence on live weight, daily weight gain and mortality rate of turkey poults. Turkey poults fed diets supplemented with riboflavin had the highest (p<0.05) values recorded for feed intake(172.14g) and (297.68g)while birds fed riboflavin + protease had least feed intake values (140.45 g and 219.56g), best FCR (1.38 and 2.41) and cheapest feed cost per kg weight gain (p<0.05) at the grower and finisher phases respectively. Crude protein retention and the digestibilities of ether extract, ash and crude fibre differed significantly (p<0.05) across the treatments with birds fed riboflavin supplemented diet having higher values (p<0.05). Ash digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in birds fed diet supplemented with protease enzyme. The experimental diets did not show significant (p>0.05) effect on the apparent and true metabolisable energy of growing turkeys. Haematological values obtained for turkeys fed experimental diets in both phases showed values which fell within normal range of poultry birds. Total protein, albumin, globulin, uric acid, glucose and ALT were significantly influenced (p<0.05) positively across the dietary treatments at the finisher phase with birds fed control diet having lowest (p<0.05) values recorded. Higher (p<0.05) relative weights of back, wings, kidney, lungs and liver were observed in turkeys fed riboflavin supplemented diet. The study concluded that lowest feed cost (₦)/Kg weight gain, better nutrient digestibility and higher values of PCV, Hb, Lymphocytes were achieved by feeding growing turkeys with diet supplemented with riboflavin + protease enzyme.
