Peri-urban poultry production in Uganda: influence of commercial feedstuffs on broiler growth performance
Abstract
The question of whether commercial poultry feedstuffs have a significant negative influence on peri-urban broiler production in Uganda was investigated. 480 day-old Ross breed broiler chickens, in 8 duplicate groups of 30 birds each were housed in a deep litter system for 8 weeks under standard management. One group fed a control
diet (designated Fs) and the other fed 7 different commercial broiler diets (designated F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) were monitored for their daily feed intake and weekly weight gain. Feeds were assessed for their nutrient content and broiler mean performance characteristics tested for significance of differences using the standard t-test. The nutrient content of the various broiler feed mixtures was not constant. Energy-protein imbalances were evident in all commercial feeds except for two (F5 and F7), with commercial feed F2 having the highest protein-energy mismatch (ME:CP ratio = 869.6) followed by F3 (ME:CP ratio = 822.9). Indigestible bulk exceeded the recommended limit for broilers in all feeds except feed F7, being highest in F2 (CF% = 6.3). F1 and F2 mean liveweight gains of 184.7 and 90.9 g/bird and week respectively, were significantly lower (p<0.05) than for the control diet (302.9 g/bird and week). Mature age liveweight yield of F3 (3103.67 g/bird) was higher than that of the control diet (Fs) by 24.2%, while F1, F2 and F4 liveweight yields were 40.8%, 69.2% and 33.3% lower respecuvely. F2 ted broilers lost 7.4 g/bird and day in the eighth week. Based on results of liveweight yield, 3 classes of feed were observed among the commercial feeds supplied in Uganda viz., low class (28.6%), medium class (57.1%) and high class feeds (14.3%). The mean feed efficiency ratios (FERs) were significantly (p<0.05) high in the low class feeds, being 5.3 (tor F1) and 6.6 for F2. On the contrally, FERs of other commercial diets did not differ significantly. It was concluded that the quality of commercial feeds has a significant negative influence on peri-urban poultry production in Uganda.
diet (designated Fs) and the other fed 7 different commercial broiler diets (designated F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7) were monitored for their daily feed intake and weekly weight gain. Feeds were assessed for their nutrient content and broiler mean performance characteristics tested for significance of differences using the standard t-test. The nutrient content of the various broiler feed mixtures was not constant. Energy-protein imbalances were evident in all commercial feeds except for two (F5 and F7), with commercial feed F2 having the highest protein-energy mismatch (ME:CP ratio = 869.6) followed by F3 (ME:CP ratio = 822.9). Indigestible bulk exceeded the recommended limit for broilers in all feeds except feed F7, being highest in F2 (CF% = 6.3). F1 and F2 mean liveweight gains of 184.7 and 90.9 g/bird and week respectively, were significantly lower (p<0.05) than for the control diet (302.9 g/bird and week). Mature age liveweight yield of F3 (3103.67 g/bird) was higher than that of the control diet (Fs) by 24.2%, while F1, F2 and F4 liveweight yields were 40.8%, 69.2% and 33.3% lower respecuvely. F2 ted broilers lost 7.4 g/bird and day in the eighth week. Based on results of liveweight yield, 3 classes of feed were observed among the commercial feeds supplied in Uganda viz., low class (28.6%), medium class (57.1%) and high class feeds (14.3%). The mean feed efficiency ratios (FERs) were significantly (p<0.05) high in the low class feeds, being 5.3 (tor F1) and 6.6 for F2. On the contrally, FERs of other commercial diets did not differ significantly. It was concluded that the quality of commercial feeds has a significant negative influence on peri-urban poultry production in Uganda.
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