Effect of Untreated and Alkaline Treated Melon Husk Diets on the Hematological Indices and Blood Chemistry of Broilers, Metabolic Trial, and Muscle PH
Abstract
The high cost of feed ingredients is one of the most significant hurdles to livestock production in underdeveloped countries. This study examined the effect of untreated and alkaline treated melon husk diets on the hematological indices and blood chemistry, metabolic trial, and muscle pH of broilers. The five diets contained a control diet of 0% level of inclusion of melon husk, 10% and 20% of untreated melon husk; 10% and 20% level of inclusion of Alkaline treated melon husk as a replacement for maize. The value obtained for the single effect of level of inclusion for ether extract and the nitrogen-free extract was significantly affected (P < 0.05). However, the highest value of the interaction for feed intake was recorded in the treated diet while the control diet recorded the highest value. The pH values obtained two hours after slaughtering for control, untreated, and treated diets were found to be significantly affected (P < 0.05), and the pH value obtained four hours after slaughtering was not significantly affected. Therefore, blood parameters were found to be superior in the diet containing melon husk to control diet while the muscle pH is not adversely affected.
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Introduction
The high cost of feed ingredients is one of the most significant hurdles to livestock production in underdeveloped countries. Unfortunately, nearly all agricultural by-products and plant protein sources have high fiber and anti-nutritional elements that must be removed using particular processing processes in order for them to have optimal nutritional value. According to many researchers [1, 6, 3, 2, and 5], water soaking, autoclaving, and cooking in boiling water, steaming, radiation, and acid or alkaline treatment are among the most common processing procedures used to improve nutritive value. As a result, efforts should be focused on lowering feed costs, which account for roughly 70% of total production costs [7]. Alternative feed additives for chicken have been evaluated by researchers in a concentrated effort [8]. As a result, such alternatives should be less expensive than traditional component sources, have comparable nutritional value, and be widely available. In the search for cheaper feed components, researchers are looking into replacing traditional feedstuffs with less expensive alternatives in the formulation of chicken feed.
Due to the caustic nature of sodium hydroxide and its expensive cost, however, organic waste ash has been used as an alternate source of alkali for the treatment of crop residues. It has been explored whether cocoa pod ash may be used as an alkali for the treatment of cocoa husk [9]. Although, a previous study confirmed that melon husk that has been alkaline treated can be utilized to substitute maize for up to 20% without affecting the birds' performance or carcass characteristics [4]. This study, therefore, aims at investigating the effect of untreated and alkaline treated melon husk diets on the hematological indices and blood chemistry, metabolic trial, and muscle pH of the broilers.
Conclusion
The results showed that the blood parameters were found to be superior in the diet containing melon husk to the control diet while the muscle pH is not adversely affected. Albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, red blood, and white blood cell levels all followed this pattern. Except for the white blood count, the control diet had the lowest values for all of the parameters measured. It was also noted that the majority of the values obtained for all parameters were higher in the untreated diet at both levels of inclusion than the values obtained in the treated diet at both levels of inclusion. Performance in terms of feed intake and weight gain is as good as in the control diet where there is no melon husk. It is also observed that the effect of treatment greatly increases feed intake in the birds. Conclusively, all the pH values obtained two hours after slaughtering for control, untreated, and treated diets were found to be significantly affected (P < 0.05). Whereas the pH value obtained for all the experimental diets at four hours after slaughtering was not significantly affected. From this study, it has been shown that Alkaline treated melon husk can be used to replace maize up to a 20% level of inclusion without adverse effects on performance, hematology, and blood chemistry as well as on the muscle pH of the birds.