Inclusion of Vigna unguiculata and Musa spp. as an alternative feeding strategy in broiler chicken

Abstract

Introduction. The modern poultry demands the development of feeding strategies that increase the level of sustainability in flocks, which has generated interest in including non-traditional ingredients in poultry diets. Objective. To assess the effect of partial inclusion of cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata) and banana (Musa spp.) on zootechnical parameters of broilers chicken. Materials and methods. An isoproteic diet (20% CP) and isocaloric (3.7 kcal ED/g) to feed 160 Cobb 500 chicks for 42 days, with partial replacement of 0; 18; 20 and 22% the concentrated food (CF) by a experimental mixture (EM) of V. unguiculata and Musa spp. The birds were randomly distributed in 16 farmyards according to treatments (T): T0: 100% CF; T1: 82% CF + 18% EM; T2: 80% CF + 20% EM and T3: 78% FC + 22% EM and 4 repetitions. For evaluate the productive response the parameters weight gain (TWG), daily weight gain (DWG), feeding conversion factor (FCF), consumption (C), Carcass yield (CY) and mortality (M). Results. The control treatment (T0) recorded the highest TWG (2.461±0.02 g), DWG (58.60±0.03 g), C (4.247±3.20 g) and, FCF (1.73±0.06); however, statistical analysis revealed that T0 and T1 are statistically equal, while T2 and T3 showed significant differences (p<0.05) to each other for the majority of variables and, in front T0 and T1. As for CY, T0 and T1 differed significantly (p<0.05) with respect to T2 and T3. During the experiment, no birds died in any of the treatments evaluated. Conclusion. Replace up to 18% CF with a balanced mixture based on V. unguiculata and Musa spp. in broilers, it has proved to be a nutritional alternative for family poultry farming.

Keywords: Poultry farming; alternative diet; partial inclusion, bird nutrition.