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Considering the inherent attributes of processed African Yam bean meal (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), it's appropriate utilization for chicken diets may enhance performance of finisher broilers. The study was therefore carried out to determine the dietary substitution of soybean meal with processed African yam bean meal as protein source in the diets of finisher broilers. The Processed African yam bean meal was used to substitute soya bean meal at various levels to determine the best substitution that would give optimal performance in finisher broilers. The seeds of the African yam beans were soaked in water for 24 hours The soaked seeds were thereafter air dried for three days. The seeds were toasted for 35 minutes in a frying pan and milled using hammer mill. In the finisher feeding trial, the substitutions were 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% processed African yam bean meal respectively. Each finisher diet was fed to a group of 30 broilers for 4 weeks using completely randomized design. Each treatment group was divided into 3 replicates of 10 broilers chicks each. The finisher broilerswere kept in pens in deep litter and given feed and water ad libitum. The parameters measured included initial body weight, final body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, cost of production and carcass characteristics. The proximate composition of processed African yam bean meal showed that it contained 8.29% moisture, 91.71% Drymatter, 3.40% ash, 21.12% crude protein, 5% ether extract, 5.73% crude fiber and 56.4% nitrogen free extract. In the finisher feeding trial, the broiler group on 40% processed AYBM significantly (P0.05) which were significantly (P |
