EFFECT OF MOLASSES SUPPLEMENTATION ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND HAEMATOBIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN BROILER

Abstract

One hundred and sixty Cobb 500™ unsexed broiler chicks were used in a 28-day trial in a poultry farm at Guimara, Khagrachari Hill district to study the effect of molasses supplementation on productive performance, carcass characteristics and haemato-biochemical parameters in commercial broiler. Birds were randomly distributed into four dietary treatment groups and molasses was supplemented at 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of drinking water for T0, T1, T2 and T3 groups, respectively. Each treatment was further divided into four groups having 10 birds per replicate. All birds had free access to ad-libitum feed and water. Results indicated that, weekly average live weight increased significantly in 1st (p˂0.05), 2nd (p˂0.05) and 4th (p˂0.01) weeks due to supplementation of molasses. Highest (1620.5 g/bird) and lowest (1569.4 g/bird) average live weights were recorded in T3 and T0 groups, respectively at 4th week. Unlike live weight, weight gain increased in 1st (p˂0.01) and 3rd (p˂0.05) weeks. Maximum (77.8 g/bird/d) and minimum (71.5 g/bird/d) weekly average weight gains were recorded in T3 and T2 groups, respectively at 4th week. Weekly average feed intake increased non-significantly (p>0.05) throughout the whole experimental periods. FCR did not differ (p>0.05) within experimental birds irrespective of the levels of molasses supplementations. Drumstick weight increased (p<0.01) from 4.1 to 4.4% and gizzard weight increased from 2.1 to 2.2% at 4th week as the level of molasses supplementation increased from 0 to 1.5%. Hemato-biochemical parameters exhibited normal range among different dietary groups (p>0.05) except for total protein which increased significantly (p˂0.01) at 4th week. It was concluded that, molasses is a potential feed supplement which in addition to basal diet, at an inclusion level of 1.5% of drinking water gives maximum result in terms of productive performance, carcass characteristics and hemato-biochemical parameters.