Chemical composition of solar-dried blood meal and its effect on performance of broiler chickens

The crude protein, fat, fibre, ash and nitrogen-corrected true metabolisable energy contents of solar-dried blood meal (SDBM) were 852.3 g kg−1 DM, 14.9 g kg−1 DM, 35.1 g kg−1 DM, 20.6 g kg−1 DM, and 13.08 MJ kg−1 DM, respectively. It contained 73.7 g available lysine kg−1 DM. In a feeding trial, 480 commercial broiler chicks were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments in a completely randomised design. The dietary treatments consisted of the control diet, which contained fishmeal and groundnut cake as the main protein sources, and three other diets which contained varying levels of SDBM (25, 50 and 75 g kg−1). The experimental diets were formulated to be both isoproteic and isoenergetic. Feed and water were provided ad libitum for a period of 5 weeks. Data for the entire 35 days growth assay, indicate the concentration of SDBM in the diet had no impact on feed intake. However, birds fed SDBM at 50 or 75 g kg−1had better weight gains and feed efficiency (p < 0.05) than birds fed 25 g kg−1 SDBM and the SDBM-free diet. Carcass yields were similar. Mortality was also unaffected by dietary treatments. In addition, blood parameters (red cell count, haemoglobin, haematocrit and total protein) were unchanged by dietary treatment (p > 0.05). Analysis of productive parameters indicated that dietary SDBM up to 75 g kg −1 had a positive effect on growth performance and that partial replacement of other protein sources (fishmeal and groundnut cake) with SDBM was possible.