PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED VARYING LEVELS OF CARROT LEAVE MEAL.

ABSTRACT An experiment was carried out at the Animal Production & Health research and teaching farm Imo State Polytechnic Omuma, Oru East, Imo State to determine the growth and carcass characteristics of finisher broilers fed varying levels of carrot leaf meal. Thirty six (36) (day old birds were used). The birds were grouped into four (4) treatments of (9) chicks, each replicated three times with three (3) chicks in a completely randomized design (CRD). The result of the body showed significant increase in the average daily weight gain and poor average daily feed intake among the treatment which followed a definite trend. There was significant difference in the feed conversion ratio among the various treatments and the highest average weight gain was recorded in Tib with 1.37. The dressed weight, organ weights wets in T4, T3, T2 were significantly higher than those on the control diet (Tfi. The eviscerated weight ofT2 differs significantly with Ti and T2 and T4 recording the lower value. There was significant difference among the various treatments in the cut-parts of the broiler which does not follow a definite trend. In conclusion carrot leaf meal can be added to the diets of the broiler to increase the performance and carcass quality of the bird without having any adverse effect and therefore is recommended.