Growth performance of broiler chicken fed on fermented fish waste silage ration

Abstract

An investigation spread over a period of six weeks was carried out to study the effect of replacing unsalted dried fish with fermented fish waste silage on nutrient utilization and growth performance in broiler chicken. One hundred and eighty day-old broiler chicks (Vencob) were divided into three identical groups having five replicates in each group with 12 birds in each replicate and allotted randomly into three dietary treatments viz., T1, T2 and T3. The three groups of birds were maintained on isonitrogenous and isocaloric rations in which protein of unsalted dried fish was replaced by protein from fermented fish waste silage at 0, 50 and 100 per cent levels. Birds were fed broiler starter rations up to four weeks of age and then they were switched to broiler finisher rations till the end of the experiment. The birds maintained on the three dietary treatments T1, T2 and T3 had almost similar growth rate (P>0.05) with a cumulative mean body weight gain of 1401.45, 1434.48 and 1491.31 g, respectively. The cumulative feed intake and cumulative feed conversion efficiency did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between treatments, the cumulative feed conversion efficiency being 2.12, 2.08 and 2.09, respectively for the birds of T1, T2 and T3. Nitrogen retention and balance were similar for the diets T1, T2 and T3. The retention and balance of calcium and phosphorus were also similar. Serum calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, glucose, creatinine and uric acid contents were not significantly influenced by the inclusion of fermented fish waste silage. Serum triglyceride was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in T2 and T3 when compared to that of T1. Birds maintained on T3 registered significantly lower (P<0.05) ready-to-cook yield when compared to T1 fed on control diet. The cost of feed per kg gain of birds in the three dietary treatments was Rs. 20.15, 19.83 and 19.73, respectively. Overall evaluation of the results of the present study revealed that fermented fish waste silage could be used economically as a substitute for unsalted dried fish in the ration of broilers on protein basis, without any adverse effect on growth rate and feed conversion efficiency, while, the ready-to-cook yield tended to be lower in birds receiving diets with 100 per cent fermented fish silage.