ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to determine growth performance, to evaluate the carcass characteristics and internal organ proportion, to determine the economics of production and to evaluate the haematological indices of the turkeys fed diet in which palm kernel meal supplemented with palm kernel oil and Roxazyme —G —enzyme replaced maize at different levels. Six experimental diets supplemented with palm kernel meal replacing maize at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% respectively was formulated as turkey's starter diets and used in experiment that lasted Eight weeks. Seventy two turkey poults were randomly allotted to the six treatment diets replicated thrice with each replicate having four poults giving rise to twelve poults per treatment iii a completely randomized experiment. Results show that, in growth performance parameters, feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of birds fed diets 60, 80 and 100 % replacement were significantly greater (P

<0.05) than that of diets 0, 20 and 40% replacement. Similarly, dressed weight of birds fed diets 1, 3,4, 5 and 6 were significantly higher than that of diet 2. The white blood cell (7.97g/dl) and mean corpuscular baemoglobin concentration (33.62g/dl) of 20% replacement were significantly greater (P><0.05) than the other diets. The cost of production of turkeys fed diets 1 and 2 were significantly greater (P><0.05) than turkey fed diets 3 to 6 in which diet 6 had the least cost. The gross - margin of turkeys fed diets 3, 5 and 6 (40, 80 and 100% replacement) were significantly greater (P><0.05) than turkeys fed dietsl, 2 and 4(0, 20 and 60%replacernent). It is recommended that palm kernel meal supplemented with palm kernel oil and Roxazyme —G- enzyme can replace maize up to 100°/o and good results achieved.