Fatty Acid Content and Carcass Quality of Broiler Chicken Fed Diet Formulated With Saturated and Unsaturated Oils

Twelve (12) weeks feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of fatty acid content/total lipid and carcass characteristics/organoleptic qualities of broiler fed diets supplemented with dietary fat sources at levels of 5% saturated and 5% unsaturated. Three experimental diets identified as T1, T2 and T3 were formulated, the control diet T1 was with 0% fat, T2 contained palm oil at 5% inclusion and T3 contained 5% groundnut oil respectively. Feed and water was provided ad-Libitum. Hundred and twenty (120) day old Anak Strain broiler chicks were randomly distributed into three (3) experimental diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment group was replicated into four with thirty birds per replicate. The result indicated that the different dietary treatments has effect on Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density-lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein (P > 0.05) except T3 that had high-density- lipoprotein which reduces total cholesterol. However, addition of dietary fats increased the total cholesterol, Triglycerides and low-density-lipoprotein in T2 of the experiment (p > 0.05). Chicks fed diet with supplemented fat sources had the most body live weight and no significant differences were observed in meat tenderness, juiciness and flavour (p > 0.05). There were significant differences between carcass characteristics (except for abdominal fat pad) due to dietary treatment (p > 0.05) and levels of inclusions. Based on the result of this study/research; it is recommended that 5% inclusion or more of unsaturated fat source (groundnut oil) be used as supplement in meal of broiler diets.