1Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Science Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Hyderabad-500 030, India.
2Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary Science Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Hyderabad-500 030, India.
*Reprint request: Dr. Y. Ramana Reddy, Tel: +91–40–24017211; Fax: +91-40-24015143; E-mail: ramanayr19@yahoo.co.in
The effect of quantitatively replacing 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent of dietary maize with pigment extracted annatto (Bixa orellana) seed meal (ASM) was investigated for broiler. Each one of the 5 diets was offered as mash ad libitum to 4 replicates (8 per replicate) of 32 chicks each, during 0–42 days of age. Replacement of maize with ASM up to 25 per cent level did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the body weight gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, dressing percentage and visceral organs weight while pigmentation of shank and skin colour was significantly (P<0.05) lower compared to control. There was no mortality in any of the dietary treatment throughout the experiment. Replacing the maize with ASM more than 25% in the diet decreased the growth performance, dressing percentage and increased the visceral organ and intestine weights and intestine length. Results indicated that ASM can replace 25 per cent level of maize without affecting the performance and return over feed cost in broiler starter and finisher rations.
Annatto seed meal, Bixa orellana, Replacement, Maize, Broiler, Performance
