Broiler performance on finisher diets containing different levels of either Pleurotus ostreatus-fermented dried cocoa pod husk or dried cocoa pod husk supplemented with enzymes

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2010-06, Vol.42 (5), p.933-939
• Main Authors: Alemawor, Francis, Oddoye, Emmanuel Okpoti Kofi, Dzogbefia, Victoria P, Oldham, John H, Donkoh, Armstrong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; blood; broiler chickens; Cacao; Carcass; Chickens - growth & development; Cocoa pod husk; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Enzymes - administration & dosage; Feeding trial; Female; Fermentation; Life Sciences; Male; Multi-enzymes; Pleurotus; Pleurotus - physiology; Pleurotus ostreatus; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-009-9510-9

The purpose was to investigate the feeding value of fibrous cocoa pod husk (CPH) either fermented with Pleurotus ostreatus or supplemented with fibre-degrading multi-enzymes (Viscozyme®L + Pectinex®5XL) before inclusion in diets for 3-week-old finishing broilers. Growth performance and carcass yield of broilers fed diets containing 100, 200 or 300 g kg⁻¹ of the P. ostreatus-fermented CPH or 100, 200 or 300 g kg⁻¹ of the enzyme-supplemented CPH as well as a normal broiler finisher diet (control), were investigated in a 35-day feeding trial setup as a completely randomised design, with the seven treatments replicated three times. There were significant differences (P