GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF BROILERS PLACED ON GRADED DIETORY INCLUSION LEVEL OF NEEM (AZADIRACTA INDICA) LEAF MEAL.


Different dietary inclusion levels Dⁿ, D¹ (2%), D² (5%), D³ (10%) and D⁴ (20%), of Neem Leaf Meal (NLM) was fed to broilers, divided into four dietary groups in three replicates. The aim is to study the impact of NLM as protein substituent on broiler growth and haematological indices. Parameters evaluated were; Daily Feed Intake (DFI), Crude Protein (CP), Average Weight Gain (AWG), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb) count. DFI and CP intakes of D², D³ and D⁴ were notably (p< 0.05) higher than the control. AWG differences were negligible (p> 0.05) for Dⁿ, D¹ and D². There was significant difference in the haematological characteristics of dietary groups Dⁿ and D¹ compared to D², D³ and D⁴. While the Hb and PCV levels of D¹ and D² compared favourably with the control, D² and D³ showed significantly reduced levels than the control. Neem leaf meal can be further investigated as a substitute for conventional


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