Potentials of replacing soybean meal with toasted African yam bean meal on growth performance of broiler finisher birds

Eighty-four (84) Anak finisher broilers were used to evaluate the potentials of replacing soybean meal with toasted african yam bean meal on growth performance of broiler finisher birds. There were twenty one (21) birds in each treatment and seven birds per replicated. Four treatment diets were formulated for the experiment. They were assigned as treatment I, II, III and IV respectively. Treatment I (0%) is the soybean based diet while Treatment II (25%), III (50%) and IV (75%) had quantitative replacement of soybean by toasted African yam beans Meal (TAYB). The parameters evaluated showed significant differences (P<0.05) apart from initial body weight. Final body weight and daily weight gain (g) followed almost the same pattern. Finisher broiler chicks fed the control diet (0%AYB) and diet containing 25% toasted African yam bean were statistically similar but birds fed diet II (25%) was significantly different from those fed diets III (50%) and IV (75%). The high final body weight (g) and daily weight gain (g) in diet containing 25% toasted African yam bean (TAYB) meal suggest a better feed utilization. The feed intake increased as quantity of toasted African yam beans (TAYB) meal (test ingredient) increase in the diets. The feed conversion ratio for diet II (25% AYB) and III (50% AYB) were significantly lower than diet I (0% AYB) and IV (75% AYB). Decreasing feed production cost (₦/kg) (70.62, 65.51, 60.41 and 53.32) was observed as inclusion level of toasted African yam beans (TAYB) meal increased from 0 to 75%. Broilers earlier fed 25% toasted African yam bean meal (TAYB) diet at starter stage of life, could continue with a 50% (TAYB) diet up to finisher stage without any adverse affect on growth performance.Keywords: Finisher Broiler, Growth Performance and Toasted African Yam Bean Mea