STARTER AND GROWER PHASES OF COCKERELS OFFERED ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF SCENT LEAF AND SIDA ACUTA

The study assessed impact of oral administration of aqueous extracts of scent leaf and Sida acuta offered to starter and grower cockerels. A total of two hundred and forty three (243) day old cockerels were sourced from a reputable hatchery. The cockerels were acclimatized for 26 days. Thereafter, cockerels were randomly distributed into 5 treatment groups of 3 replicates per group. There were 9 birds in each replicate and 27 bird per treatment. Scent leaves and Sida acuta leaves were sourced within metropolis of Ogbomoso and Teaching and Research Farm LAUTECH Ogbomoso, respectively. Fresh scent leaves were air dried for few days and sun dried for 1 hour. S. acuta leaves were sun dried for 2 hours daily for 5 days. The dried leaves were pulverized into coarse powder. Aqueous extract of scent leaf was obtained by soaking fifty grams (50g) of scent leaf powder in 1L of distilled water. It was homogenized and left for 12 hours. Aqueous extract of S. acuta was obtained by soaking hundred grams (100g) of S. acuta powder in 1L of distilled water. It was homogenized for 18 hours. The homogenized mixtures of the two medicinal plants were sieved with muslin cloth to obtain the aqueous leaf extracts. The control group was orally administered antibiotics and coccidiostats. Cockerels offered aqueous leaf extract of 25 and 50ml/L scent leaf in drinking water were for treatments T1 and T2, respectively. The administration of aqueous leaf extract of 20 and 40ml/L S. acuta in drinking water were supplied to birds in treatments T3 and T4, respectively. Oral administration of aqueous leaf extracts did not significantly (P>0.05) influence growth performance of starter cockerels. The final body weight (P=0.000, 1130.17g/bird), weight gain (P=0.001, 867.35g/bird) and FCR (0.003, 2.11) were heavier in grower cockerels offered blended aqueous leaf extracts of 50ml/L scent leaf and 40ml/L S. acuta (T8). The best FCR was obtained in grower cockerel offered 25ml/L aqueous leaf extract of scent leaf. It was concluded that oral administration of blend aqueous leaf extracts of 50ml/L of scent leaf and 40ml/L Sida acuta to cockerels at grower phase significantly improved final body weight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. It was therefore recommended that blended aqueous leaf extract of 50 ml/L of scent leaf and 40ml/L Sida acuta should be given to cockerels as alternative to antibiotics and coccidiostat for improved final body weight and feed conversion.