Effect of In-Feed Inclusion of Biochar from Mixture of Wood and Empty Palm Fruit Bunch on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens
Abstract
A total of 45, four weeks (28 days) old, unsexed Arbor acre (broiler) chickens were used to determine the growth performance of broiler chickens on feed substitute of biochar produced from pyrolysis of wood and empty palm fruit bunch mixture at the finisher phase (29 – 56 days). The birds were randomly assigned to three feed substitution levels (0, 3 and 6% biochar Kg-1) of the whole diet with fifteen (15) birds per treatment (three replicates of five birds each), in a completely randomized design for four weeks. The final body weight (FBW) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the birds showed no significant (P>0.05) differences among the treatments (T1, T2 and T3). However, the average feed intake in the biochar supplemented treatments (T2; 164.30 g and T3; 165.80 g) were higher than the control (T1; 160.40 g). Conversely, the average daily weight gain of broilers on the 3 and 6% biochar kg-1 supplemented diets recorded significant decrease compared with the 0% biochar (T1) group. There was no significant difference between T2 (68.33 g) and T1 (70.48 g) and it also did not differ from T3 (66.33 g). The FCR significantly increased from 2.27 (T1) to 2.40 and 2.50 in T2 and T3 respectively. On cumulative feed intake, the 3% (T2) biochar Kg-1 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 0% as well as the 6% biochar Kg-1 diet. On the overall, it can be inferred that while 3% biochar kg-1 was tolerable, an inclusion up to 6% depressed production parameters.
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