RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKS FED ON DIETS CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF PIGEON PEA (CAJANUS CAJAN) SEEDS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ESSENTIAL CARAWAY OIL

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding broiler chicks on diets containing graded levels of raw pigeon pea seeds (PPS ) supplemented by essential caraway oil (ECO) {200 ml/100kg). One hundred and twenty, 7-day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were divided into five groups (A,B,C,D and E). Each group was subdivided into four replicates with six chicks per each in a completely randomized design (CRD). Five iso-caloric, iso-nitrogenous diets were formulated. Diet A was as acontrol (no pigeon pea, no caraway oil). Diets B, C, D and E contained 5, 10, 15 and 20% of raw pigeon pea seeds supplemented with 200ml/100kg caraway oil. Results obtained showed that the overall data for performance of chicks fed diet contained 20% pigeon pea seed supplemented with caraway oil recorded significant (p?0.05) improvement over the control group in body weight, body weight gain and feed intake; however, the dietary had no effect on feed conversion ratio and mortality. It is concluded that addition of 200 ml/100kg caraway oil to raw pigeon pea seed is eliminate or reduce the anti-nutritional factors in pigeon pea seed, so, indicating that the caraway oil can be as anatural inhibitor for anti-natural factors.