What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to evaluate the effects of fish meal as a replacement for soybean meal on the growth and carcass characteristics of Koekoek chickens.

March 4, 20260 citationsOpen Access

Effects of Fish Meal Inclusion in Broiler Diet on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Koekoek Chicken

MGMesay Guyo GuyoMadda Walabu University KAKedir Abdurahman AbdurahmanHawassa University AEA. EbroSt. Mary's University

Key Points

The research aims to evaluate the effects of fish meal as a replacement for soybean meal on the growth and carcass characteristics of Koekoek chickens.
Random selection of 120 Koekoek chickens assigned to four dietary treatments with varying fish meal percentages (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%)
Conducted a feeding trial lasting 48 days
Evaluated growth metrics like average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio
Assessed carcass characteristics from two chicks per treatment after the trial
Inclusion of fish meal significantly improved average daily weight gain and final weight in chickens fed 5% and 10% fish meal (T1 and T2)
Chickens on T1 and T2 consumed more daily dry matter and organic matter compared to higher fish meal diets
T3 and T4 diets resulted in lower weight gains despite higher calcium and phosphorus intakes
The dietary treatment T4 led to the lowest metabolizable energy intake
Economically, T2 had a lower production cost but higher net income compared to T1, recommending a 10% fish meal inclusion.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate weight gain, carcass traits, and economic efficiency of Koekoek chickens fed fish meal as a partial replacement for soybean meal. The offal was obtained from Koka Fish Reservoir and Ellen Lake, and it was cooked, sun-dried, and included in the diets. A total of 120 chickens were randomly selected and assigned to four treatments (T1: 5 %, T2: 10 %, T3: 15 %, T4: 20 % fish meal) in a complete randomized design with two replications of 15 chicks each. The feeding trial was commenced for 48 days, followed by carcass evaluation of two chicks per replication. Results revealed that inclusion of fish meal diet had a significant effect on average daily weight gain and final weight (p 0.05) affected among dietary treatments. Economically, the production cost incurred for T1 (325.8 Birr) was higher than that of T2 (307.1 Birr), while their relative net income was higher. Therefore, inclusion of fish meal up to 10 % (T2) in grower diets is recommended to optimize both performance and profitability of the broilers.

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