Effect of Dietary Fenugreek Powder on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Serum Biochemistry of Broiler Chicken at Starter and Finisher Phase

A total of (240) unsexed day-old broiler chick (Abor-acre) was used to evaluate the effect of fenugreek seed powder on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and serum biochemistry of broiler chicken. The birds were randomly allotted to four treatment in which each treatment consist of 60 birds and 15 birds per replicate. T1-0g/kg, T2-1g/kg inclusion, T3-2g/kg inclusion rate and T4-3g/kg inclusion of fenugreek powder. Data were collected on growth performance, carcass characteristics, organ and serum biochemistry and were analysed using ANOVA. The results revealed significant difference on (P<0.05) weight gain per/bird, eviscerated weight, high and low density lipoprotein. Highest (P<0.05) weight gain per/bird (33.68g),(30.75g) were recorded with broiler fed diet containing the 1g/kg of the fenugreek seed powder while broiler chicken fed diet with the inclusion rate at 3g/kg had least (12.65g) and(22.08g) at starter and finisher phase respectively. Highest (P<0.05) eviscerated weight (1141.50g) was recorded with broiler fed diet with 2g/kg inclusion of fenugreek seed powder while broiler fed diet with the inclusion rate at 3g/kg had the least (798.50g) at finisher phase. Highest (P<0.05) neck weight value(7.2%g) was recorded with broiler fed diet with 3g/kg inclusion of fenugreek seed powder at finisher face while broiler fed diet without the inclusion of test ingredient had the lowest value (5.42%). Highest (P<0.05) HDL value (84.79g/dl) was recorded with broiler fed diet containing 2g of fenugreek seed powder while broiler fed diet without inclusion had the lowest value (61.08g/dl) at finisher phase. Lowest (P<0.05) LDL value (13.62g/dl), (26.59g/dl) were recording with broiler fed diet containing 2g of fenugreek seed powder for both starter and finisher phase while broiler fed diet without inclusion had the highest value (18.93g/dl)and (33.78 g/dl) respectively. The study concluded that inclusion of fenugreek seed powder at 2g/kg in the diets had positive effect on growth performance, carcass yield and serum biochemistry of broiler chicken.