Response of broiler chickens to frequency of dietary inclusion of neem leaf meal

A 5-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of 180 2-week old broiler chicks of Cobb strain fed diets containing neem (Azardirachta indica) leaf meal at different periods. The birds were allotted to 5 dietary treatments with each treatment consisting of 36 birds and were replicated 4 times with 9 birds per replicate. Feed and water were administered ad libitum. Birds in treatment 1 were fed control diet all through the period of experiment, birds in treatment 2 were fed diet containing 0.5 % neem leaf meal, birds in treatment 3 were fed diet containing 0.5% neem leaf meal for 3 d in a wk, birds in treatment 4 were fed diet containing 1% neem leaf meal, birds in treatment 5 were fed diet containing 1% neem leaf meal for 3 d in a wk. The best feed conversion ratio was in the birds in treatment 3 which was similar to the response of birds in treatment 5 at starter phase while only feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) influenced at finisher phase. Results on nutrient digestibility indicated that birds on 0.5% neem leaf meal for 3 d in a wk had better (P<0.05) nutrient utilization than their counterparts in other groups. Carcass characteristics was not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the treatments. It was concluded that 0.5% neem leaf meal inclusion in the diet of broiler chickens for 3 d in a wk improves performance of broiler chickens