Growth Performance of Two Chicken Breeds Fed Guava (Psidium guajava) Leaf Meal as a Natural Alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoter.

Abstract

The potential of phytogenic compounds such as guava (Psidium guajava) leaf meal can be harnessed as a non-antibiotic alternative in promoting growth performance in chicken. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the growth performance characteristics of two chicken breeds fed guava leaf meal (GLM) as a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. GLM was screened for phytochemicals. A total of 180 chicks were subjected to 6 dietary treatments replicated 3 times in a 2 x 6 factorial layout of breed type (Noiler or broiler) and GLM and Oxy-tetracycline supplementation (0 g/kg GLM 5 g/kg Oxy-tetracycline, 5 g/kg GLM, 10 g/kg GLM, 15 g/kg GLM or 20 g/kg GLM) for 5 weeks. The data were subjected to a two-way factorial analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 for Windows. The results showed that tannins, phenols, saponins, resin and quinone are phytochemicals found in abundance in GLM, while phlobatamins were absent. The growth performance of Noiler and broiler revealed that broiler chicken had significantly higher growth performance characteristics compared to Noiler. Broilers fed 10g GLM had comparable growth performance to the control group with an average daily gain of 50.26 g and a growth rate of 33.17%. Broiler also converted feed better than Noiler, with the former having a feed conversion ratio of 1.45. The growth rate was more pronounced at weeks 3 and 4. The interaction effect of chicken breeds and GLM supplementation was significant on the growth performance characteristics. In conclusion, the GLM improved the growth performance of the broilers better than the Noiler. Broiler chicken consumed more feed and had better feed conversion than Noiler. 10 g/kg GLM in the broiler diet had comparable growth performance to the Oxy-tetracycline control group.