Effect of replacement of groundnut cake with niger seed cake on the performance and nutrient utilization in broiler chicken

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of replacing Groundnut cake with Niger seed cake on the performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens. Two hundred fifty (250) day-old broiler chicks (Cobb strain) were weighed individually and divided randomly into five treatment groups. Each group (T₁, T₂, T₃ T₄ and T₅) were further subdivided into five replicates of 10 chicks. The control ration (T₁) contained groundnut cake (GNC) and T₂ T₃, T₄ and T₅ the GNC of control ration was replaced by Niger seed cake (NSC) at 25, 50, 75 and 100 per cent level, respectively, on protein equivalent basis. A 7 days duration metabolic trial was conducted from 36^th to 42^nd days of the feeding trial. Average weekly body weight in group T₃ showed significant (P<0.01) increase as compared to T₁ T₄ and T₅. The average daily intake of feed, CP and ME were optimum in all the groups but higher in T₃ group than other groups in which GNC protein was replaced with Niger seed cake at 50 per cent level and had no adverse effect on nutrient utilization and growth rate in the broiler chickens. Nitrogen balance was found positive and did not differ significantly among the groups. The average daily calcium and phosphorus retention did not differ significantly among the various groups of broiler chickens. However, replacement of groundnut cake with Niger seed cake in feed showed positive influence in Ca and P retention in the broilers. Thus, it was concluded that retention of Ca and P were improved by the replacement of groundnut cake with Niger seed cake at 50 per cent level on protein equivalent basis with better feed consumption and body weight gain.