EFFECT OF ATRIPLEX NUMMULARIA LEAVES MEAL AS A NON-TRADITIONAL FEEDSTUFF IN LOCAL GROWING HENS UNDER SOUTH SINAI CONDITIONS

Document Type : Original Article

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Animal and Poultry Nutrition Department, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

A total number of 180 Sina growing hens 10 weeks of age were used in an experiment till 18 weeks of age. The experiment aimed to study effect of feeding growing hens different levels of Atriplex nummularia leaves meal (ALM) on their performance and feed cost under South Sinai conditions. Experimental birds were divided randomly into four equal experimental treatments (45 in each treatment) and randomly divided into three equal replicates (15 hens each).The first group was fed the basal diet as a control treatment (0 % ALM), while the other three treatments were fed diets containing either 4,8 or 12 % ALM, respectively. Experimental diets were formulated to be iso-caloric (2800 kcal ME /kg diet) and iso-nitrogenous (15% crude protein), iso-fibrous (3.15%) and were formulated in granular form. The inclusion of 8% ALM showed improve in live body weight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio with .greater net return and economical efficiency in the diet compared to the other levels. while, decrease (P < 0.05) in live body weight, weight gain and feed intake with the inclusion of 12% ALM in the diet compared to the other levels, Increasing 12% ALM level in the diets significantly decreased (P<0.05) digestion coefficients of OM, CP, CF, NFE% and nutritive values expressed as DCP, TDN % and ME(kcal/kg) up to 12%. However, 12% of ALM significantly increased (P<0.05) digestion coefficient of EE. In conclusion, from the nutritional and economical efficiency stand points of view, up to 8% ALM could be recommended to be used successfully and safely when formulating diet for Sina local growing hens without adversely affecting their performance.

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