Effects of Heat-Treated Bovine Blood Meal on Growth Performances and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

A total of 180 one-day-old unsexed Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly distributed to four experimental diets and three replications per treatment, with each pen with 15 chicks per replicate arranged in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of partial substitution of soybean meal with blood meal on performances and carcass characteristics. The treatments were: T1 (0% blood meal), T2 (9% blood meal), T3 (18% blood meal), and T4 (27% blood meal). The rations were prepared in an isocaloric and isonitrogenous manner and the experiment was lasted for 49 days. Dry matter (DM) intake was not significant (P>0.05) between T2 and control (T1) during the starter, finisher, and entire period. But DM intake was significant (P<0.05) in T2 compared to T3 and T4 during the starter, finisher, and entire period. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in body weight (BW) gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in birds fed diet T2 as compared to T1, T3, and T4 during the finisher phase. In addition, the finding showed that significant (P<0.05) drumstick, thigh, and abdominal fat weight were recorded in T2 compared to the control (T1), T3, and T4. However, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in breast weight, wing weight, and dressing weight between the control and T2. Therefore, dried bovine blood meal can be incorporated at a 9% level as a soybean replacement without affecting the chickens' performance.