ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the replacement effect of blood meal with local fishmeal in broiler diets. Ninety six day old broiler chicks were used in this study. Four treatment diets containing 0%, 33.3%, 66.6% and 100% replacement levels of local fishmeal for blood meal were respectively given to the birds for 56 days to obtain the growth, carcass and economic parameters. The proximate analysis of blood meal and local fishmeal conducted were 67.34 % and 58.45 % crude protein. The results show that the birds fed 33.3% and 0% replacement diets had the least response in terms of weight gain, FCR, dressed weight, cost per weight gain and profit. The means, of all the parameters evaluated showed no significance (P . > 0.05). However the diet containing 66.6% replacement level would be preferred to others because of its least cost. The diet containing 66.6% replacement level recorded highest value in all the parameters considered except in the weight of wings, thighs and drumsticks. It is hereby recommended that 66.6% replacement of blood meal with local fishmeal in broiler diets should be adopted for maximum growth, carcass and economic performance of the birds.