Abstract
A research to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on the performance, carcass characteristics and lipid profile of finisher broiler chickens was carried out. Two hundred unsexed broilers were used for the trial. Four broiler finisher diets were formulated with each containing 0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5% level of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) and labelled T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. On day 28, the birds were distributed into four treatment groups of fifty birds. Each treatment was apportioned to one of the treatment diets in a completely randomized design. Each treatment was further replicated five times, with 10 birds per replicate and housed in a deep litter pen. The experiment lasted for 28 days. The results of the performance of the experimental birds indicated significant (P<0.05) differences in their values. Broiler chickens in T4 group recorded the highest significant weight in final weight, body weight gain, and feed intake. Broiler chickens in T4 had the best feed conversion ratio. The carcass dressed weight and primal cut-part (back, thigh, drumstick, breast and wing) indicated significant increase across treatments. The internal organs showed no significant difference in their values. However, significant variations were observed in the lipid profile cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein of the birds. Thus, the experiment revealed that Moringa oleifera leaf meal could be incorporated into broiler diet at 7.5% without any adverse effects on the performance, carcass and internal organ characteristics as well as on the lipid profile of broiler chicks.