| Livestock Research for Rural Development 31 (2) 2019 | Guide for preparation of papers | LRRD Newsletter | Citation of this paper |
The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding Acacia saligna seed meal (ASSM) on performance of Bovans Brown hens. ASSM was prepared by processing A. saligna seeds and mixing with other ingredients to provide a balanced layer diet. Four treatments were compared: AS0 (0% ASSM), AS5 (5% ASSM), AS10 (10% ASSM) and AS15 (15% ASSM). Thirty hens were assigned per treatment, with three replicates each of 10 birds.
Increasing proportion of Acacia saligna meal (up to 15%) in the diet had a positive, curvilinear effect on egg production. Egg quality and hen body weight were not affected by inclusion of Acacia saligna meal in the diet.
Key words: egg production, feed conversion, legume tree, protein
In Ethiopia, the main feed resources for scavenging chickens are household waste, cereals and byproducts, pulses, roots and tubers, oil seeds and leaves from shrubs (Tadelle 1996). Growth is constrained by lack of protein and micro-nutrient supplements which are very important in poultry farming (Solomon 1996). A lack of locally derived fortified feeds and the associated high cost means that chicken raising is largely under taken by free range or scavenging system which leads to low production performance (Alemu 1995; Alemu and Tadelle 1997).
Acacia saligna seed meal (ASSM) is a promising option that is locally available (Photo 1) and suitable for poultry consumption (Mehari and Alemayehu 2016). The seeds are also reported to be suitable as a human food when mixed with other cereals like wheat (Maslin et al 1998). Acacia saligna seeds contain protein (27.6-32.6%), carbohydrate (30.2-36.4%) and fats (12-14%) (Ee and Yates 2012; Mehari and Alemayehu 2016).
|
| Photo 1. Acacia saligna |
Anti-metabolites in legume seeds and cereals can be reduced by different treatments or processing such as crushing, soaking, boiling and roasting. According to Ee and Yates (2012), soaking reduced trypsin inhibitor activities in wattle seeds and others reported that soaking reduced tannin and cyanides (Ayenor 1985; Marfor and Oke 1988; Ahamefule and Odemelam 2008) and oxalate (Cheeke 1995).
A study by Mehari and Alemayehu (2016) showed that ASSM could be used as alternative feed for broiler chickens. However, there is no research on the effect of ASSM on performance and egg quality parameters of layer hens. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ASSM on layer performance and egg quality parameters as a locally derived and potentially cheap source of dietary protein.
The Acacia saligna seeds were collected in and around Mekelle city and the Mariam Agamat (project site), soaked in clean water for 24 hours and then boiled for 3-5 minutes; the mash was then dried under shade for 3 days and finally ground with a mill to an edible size suitable for chickens. Other ingredients were bought from the local market. Feed ingredients were analyzed for their chemical composition and rations containing 16.5% crude protein (CP) and 2750 kcal/kg dry matter of metabolizable energy were formulated using a proprietary "least-cost" forrmulation program.
|
Table 1. Chemical composition of feed ingredients (% air-dry basis) |
|||||||
|
ME# |
CP |
EE |
CF |
Ca |
P |
||
|
Maize |
3258 |
8.40 |
4.40 |
2.30 |
0.04 |
0.30 |
|
|
Wheat |
2980 |
12.1 |
1.80 |
3.00 |
0.07 |
0.35 |
|
|
SBM |
2180 |
43.5 |
2.00 |
6.10 |
0.30 |
0.65 |
|
|
NSC (Noug seed cake) |
2400 |
34.6 |
7.1 |
17.2 |
0.70 |
0.30 |
|
|
Meat and bone meal |
2830 |
50.0 |
13.0 |
0.00 |
14.0 |
6.00 |
|
|
Wheat bran |
1710 |
15.2 |
3.6 |
9.2 |
0.11 |
1.15 |
|
|
Wheat middling |
1980 |
15.6 |
3.6 |
9.2 |
0.11 |
1.15 |
|
|
ASSM |
3306 |
28.2 |
15.5 |
14.4 |
- |
- |
|
|
ASSM= Acacia saligna seed meal, CP= crude protein,
EE= ether extract, CF= crude fiber, Ca= calcium, P= phosphorus. |
|||||||
One hundred and twenty Bovans Brown hens, 28 weeks age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: AS0 (0% ASSM), AS5 (5% ASSM), AS10 (10% ASSM) and AS15 (15% ASSM). There were three replicates of each treatment in pens having 10 hens. The experiment was carried out over the 28-35 weeks of age of the hens. The hens were kept under similar environmental conditions in a poultry house partitioned with mesh wire and plastic sheet (1.5m2 for 10 hens). Wheat straw was used in a deep litter system. Feed was provided twice a day at 8:00 am and 2:00 pm; water was provided ad libitum. Feed refusals were collected, weighed and recorded every other day at 7:00 am. The drinkers were washed every two days with clean water. Data on feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, egg yield, internal and external egg quality were collected.
The hens had been vaccinated against Newcastle disease at the age of 7 days. A vaccine to protect against Gumboro disease was given in drinking water at 14 days of age.
The body weights of the hens were measured at weekly intervals. The feed conversion ratio was calculated as feed consumed per unit egg weight. The number of eggs laid by each replicate was recorded daily and the hen-day egg production percent (HDEP %) was calculated. Data on egg yolk, albumen, shell weight, egg length and egg width were recorded.
|
Table 2. Feed ingredients and their chemical composition |
||||
|
Ingredients |
Control |
Acacia saligna seed meal (%) |
||
|
5 |
10 |
15 |
||
|
Maize |
56.7 |
60.0 |
57.0 |
48.0 |
|
Wheat |
3.00 |
0.40 |
2.00 |
6.50 |
|
SBM |
13.0 |
20.0 |
16.0 |
11.5 |
|
NSC |
5.00 |
2.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
|
Meat and Bone Meal |
4.99 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Wheat Bran |
9.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Salt |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
Wheat Middling |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
4.00 |
|
Methionine |
0.01 |
0.02 |
0.05 |
0.07 |
|
Lysine |
0.00 |
0.02 |
0.10 |
0.20 |
|
Vitamin and mineral premix1 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
Limestone |
6.80 |
7.70 |
7.60 |
7.70 |
|
Di-calcium phosphate |
0.50 |
1.90 |
2.20 |
2.00 |
|
ASSM |
0.00 |
5.00 |
10.0 |
15.0 |
|
ME, kcal/kg DM |
2636 |
2657 |
2698 |
2690 |
|
CP, % |
16.38 |
16.2 |
16.2 |
16.1 |
|
EE, % |
4.14 |
4.00 |
4.70 |
5.20 |
|
CF, % |
3.88 |
3.90 |
4.50 |
5.20 |
|
Ca, % |
3.70 |
3.70 |
3.70 |
3.70 |
|
P, % |
0.77 |
0.70 |
0.70 |
0.70 |
|
Lysine, % |
0.72 |
0.70 |
0.70 |
0.70 |
|
Methionine, % |
0.28 |
0.30 |
0.30 |
0.30 |
|
1 provided per kg of the feed: 10,000,000 IU vitamin A, 3000000 IU vitamin D, 25,000 mg vitamin E, 2000mg vitamin K3, 1500mg vitamin B1, 5000mg vitamin B2, 9001mg vitamin B3, 5000mg vitamin B6, 25,000MCG vitamin B12, 30003mg nicotinic acid, 1000mg folic acid, 100000MCG biotin, 648750mg choline. 45000mg Iron, 15000mg Cu, 75001mg Mn, 70001mg zinc oxide, 2000mg iodine, 400050 MCG Se, 1231662mg Ca, 12687 mg Mg, 952mg Na and 185313mg Cl. |
||||
Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20 based on a completely randomized design. GLM was used to compare the treatment means on feed intake and egg production; one-way ANOVA was used for the other parameters. The Tukey test at p<0.05 was used to separate the means as appropriate. The data of body weight gain was square root transformed prior to analysis.
Feed intake and change in body weight were not affected by the inclusion of ASSM in the diet (Table 3). In contrast, egg production was increased with a curvilinear trend (Figure 1).
|
Table 3. Effect of ASSM on body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of egg laying hens |
||||||
|
Control |
Acacia saligna seed meal (%) |
SEM |
p |
|||
|
5 |
10 |
15 |
||||
|
Feed intake, g/d |
114 |
114 |
111 |
113 |
0.87 |
0.15 |
|
HDEP, % |
50.6b |
59.0ab |
64.2a |
64.6a |
1.37 |
<0.001 |
|
Initial wt, kg |
1.58 |
1.72 |
1.55 |
1.62 |
74.3 |
0.19 |
|
Final wt, kg |
1.76 |
1.87 |
1.73 |
1.72 |
61.6 |
0.13 |
|
Gain in wt, g |
174 |
153 |
188 |
99.7 |
57.3 |
0.35 |
|
Feed conversion# |
2.01 |
2.00 |
1.96 |
1.99 |
1.99 |
0.34 |
|
# Feed intake/egg mass |
||||||
 |
| Figure 1. Effect of inclusion of ASSM on % hen-day egg production. |
Feeding ASSM had no effect on egg quality criteria (Table 4).
|
Table 4. Mean values for effect of ASSM on internal and external egg quality parameters |
||||||
|
Parameters |
Control |
Acacia saligna seed meal (%) |
SEM |
p |
||
|
5 |
10 |
15 |
||||
|
Egg weight, g |
60.6 |
59.8 |
60.6 |
58.3 |
1.30 |
0.26 |
|
Egg length, mm |
59.6 |
55.9 |
56.3 |
55.8 |
0.56 |
0.46 |
|
Egg width, mm |
42.5a |
41.8b |
42.8a |
41.6b |
0.39 |
<0.001 |
|
Yolk weight, g |
15.6 |
15.9 |
15.8 |
15.5 |
0.29 |
0.64 |
|
Albumen weight, g |
36.0 |
34.9 |
35.8 |
34.3 |
1.12 |
0.38 |
|
Shell weight, g |
6.96 |
7.05 |
7.08 |
6.98 |
0.15 |
0.85 |
|
Shell percentage, % |
11.5 |
11.8 |
11.7 |
12.0 |
0.22 |
0.17 |
|
Shape index, % |
75.2 |
75.0 |
76.1 |
74.6 |
0.77 |
0.26 |
There is no obvious explanation for the improved egg production as a result of including Acacia saligna in the diet. However, the curvilinear nature of the response curve implies that at high levels (above 10% in the diet), the fiber content may become a limiting factor. Unfortunately, the use of a computer program to select dietary ingredients made it impossible to link the addition of the Acacia saligna with the replacement of a particular ingredient as some ingredients were wholly replaced (eg: meat and bone meal and wheat bran), or partially replaced, as the Acacia saligna meal was increased. It is noticeable however that levels of synthetic lysine and methionine were both increased in parallel with the Acacia saligna seed meal.
The authors would like to give their deep appreciation to NWO-WOTRO for provision of primary funding for this research; additional funds were provided by Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) and World Vision Australia (WVA).
Ahamefule F O and Odemelam V U 2008 Effect of soaking duration on the proximate composition, gross energy, mineral content and some anti-nutritional properties of Canavalia plagiosperma seed. Proceedings of the 13th Annual conference of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), Zaria, Nigeria, 491- 494.
Alemu Y 1995 Poultry production in Ethiopia. World Poultry Sciences Journal, 51: 197-201 https://doi.org/10.1079/WPS19950014
Alemu Y and Tadelle D 1997 The status of poultry research and development in Ethiopia. Research bulletin No. 4, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Ayenor G S 1985 Effect of retting of cassava on product yield and cyanide detoxification. Journal of Food Technology, 20: 89-96.
Cheeke P R 1995 Endogenous toxins and mycotoxins in forage grasses and their effect on livestock. Journal of Animal Science, 73 (3): 909-918. https://doi.org/10.2527/1995.733909x.
Ee K Y and Yates P 2012 Nutritional and anti-nutritional evaluation of raw and processed Australian wattle (Acacia saligna) seeds. Food Chemistry, 138: 762–769. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.10.085.
Marfor E R and Oke O L 1988 Phytate, FAO Corporate Document Repository. In: Introduction to Animal Science, 146-196.
Maslin B R, Thomson L A, McDonald M W and Hamilton-Brown S 1998 Edible Wattle Seeds of Southern Australia. A review of species for semi-arid regions of southern Australia. CSIRO, Forestry and Forest Products, Australian Tree Seed Centre, Canberra.
Mehari K and Alemayehu T 2016 Acacia saligna seed meal as alternative feed ingredient in broiler ration: Effect on productive performance and carcass characteristics. Scientific Journal of Animal Science, 5(1): 204-211. https:// doi.10.14196/sjas.v5i1.2104.
Solomon D 1996 Study on the egg production of White Leghorn under intensive, semi-intensive and rural household conditions in Ethiopia. Livestock Resource and Rural Development, 8: 89-92.
Tadelle D 1996 Studies on village poultry production systems in the central highlands of Ethiopia. M.Sc. thesis submitted to Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 69.
Wiseman J 1987 Meeting nutritional requirement from available resources. In: Feeding of Non-Ruminant Livestock (1st ed.). Translated and ed. by J. Wiseman. Butterworth and Co. Ltd.
Received 3 November 2018; Accepted 22 January 2019; Published 1 February 2019