PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED FOUR DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL DIETS

The study was carried out to evaluate the productive performance and financial benefits of broiler chickens fed different commercial diets. Four most available commercial diets were selected and used for the study. Two hundred day old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four diets in two replicates with 25 chicks each in a completely randomized design and coded as diets A, B, C and D. Percentages nutrients compositions of the starter feeds showed that Diet A, 22.8 (CP), 4.0 (EE), 5.0 (CF) and 2900.0kcal/kg (ME); B, 22.0 (CP), 5.0 (EE), 5.0 (CF) and 3000kcal/kg (ME); C, 23.0 (CP), 5.5 (EE), 3.0 (CF) and 3050kcal/kg (ME) and D 22.0 (CP), 4.52 (EE), 5.0 (CF) and 3024kcal/kg (ME), while the finisher feeds contained: A, 20.0 (CP), 6.0 (EE), 5.0 (CF) and 3024kcal/kg (ME); B: 22.0 (CP), 4.8 (EE), 4.0 (CF) and 3055kcal/kg (ME); C: 19.5 (CP), 5.5 (EE), 3.0 (CF) and 3100kcal/kg (ME) and D: 20.9 (CP), 6.4 (EE), 3.7 (CF) and 2970kcal/kg (ME). The experiment lasted for seven weeks with four weeks each of starter and finisher phases. Feeds and water were supplied ad libtum while vaccines and other management activities were administered accordingly. Feed intake and weight gain as well as carcass parameters were taken during and at the end of the research period. The results obtained indicated non statistical significance in all the performance parameters observed during the two phases of production (starter and finisher) except daily weight gain (58.42-60.70g) at starter phase with the highest values of 65.86 and 60.70 on diets A and B respectively. Similarly, all the carcass parameters were not significantly influenced by the feed types except on abdominal fat (0.30-0.79%) and caecum (0.60-0.91%) at P<0.05. However, feed cost/kg diet was higher on diet A (N 394.00) and lowest on diet D (N 334.00). Also, feed cost/kg gain was found to be higher on diet B (N 829.26) and lowest on diet D (N 667.25). It was therefore concluded that diet D is the best in terms of feed cost as well as feed cost per kg gain. Diet D is recommended for use in broiler chicken production for better profit margin.