EFFECT OF CRACKED-SOAKED AND COOKED VELVET BEANS (MUCUNA PRURIENS) ON THE PERFORMANCE AND ORGAN CHARACTERISTICS OF FINISHER BROILERS

摘要

The effects of dietary additions of 0, 20, 25 and 30% cracked-soaked and cooked velvet beam (Mucuna pruriens) on performance and visceral organ weights were studied with 4 9 week old broiler chickens. Cracked-soaked and cooked mucuna (CSCM) beans wereadded to a standard commercial type broiler finisher ration at the expense of maize and soybean meal. The calculated levels of energy and other nutrients were similar in all the diets. At 20 and 25% dietary levels, (CSCM) promoted better growth and efficiency that compared statistically with the control than 30% level. With 30% CSCM, broilers grew 38.83% less than the control. Protein efficiency ratio (1.26) and feed conversion ratio (4.06) were significantly (P<0.05) poor but feed intake was unchanged. Weights of liver, kidney and gizzard increased with mucuna bean diets while heart weight decreased. It is concluded that cracking mucuna beans before soaking and cooking in water partially destroys the growth inhibiting factors thus allowing successfuluse of 25% CSCM in broiler finisher rations. Higher level of CSCM reduced broiler performance.