Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Haematological Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Maize Stover and Faczyme® Supplement
A 49-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of maize stover supplemented with Faczyme® as a partial replacement for yellow maize on the performance, carcass yield, organ weights, and haematological indices of broiler chickens. A total of 144 day-old Abor Acre broiler chicks were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments in a Completely Randomised Design, with three replicates of eight birds per treatment. The experimental diets included 0% (control), 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% maize stover supplemented with Faczyme®, replacing equivalent proportions of yellow maize. Birds were fed and watered ad libitum on wood-shaving litter. Growth performance parameters such as feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored. Blood samples were analysed using standard laboratory procedures. The final body weights across treatments were: 1969.17 g, 2027.46 g, 1922.92 g, 1867.92 g, 2020.49 g, and 1917.60 g, respectively, with no significant differences (P > 0.05). However, birds fed the 15% maize stover diet showed a more favourable FCR. Carcass characteristics varied significantly (P < 0.05) among treatments, except for thigh weights (14.83%, 14.76%, 13.42%, 16.09%, 15.60%, and 14.53%) and drumstick weights (14.49%, 14.32%, 14.37%, 14.66%, 15.90%, and 14.94%). Most internal organs showed significant differences (P < 0.05) except the gallbladder, which recorded values of 0.17%, 0.14%, 0.07%, 0.10%, 0.09%, and 0.15%. Haematological indices showed significant variations (P < 0.05) except white blood cell (WBC) count and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Notably, hemoglobin (Hb) increased from 11.34% in the control to 14.74% in the 20% treatment group, while packed cell volume (PCV) rose from 26.00% to 31.00%. In conclusion, maize stover supplemented with Faczyme® can effectively replace 15–20% of dietary yellow maize in broiler diets without adverse effects on performance, carcass traits, or blood parameters.
Keywords: Broilers, Maize stover, Faczyme, Carcass Characteristics, Organ Proportions, Haematology
Target Audience: Poultry Farmers, Animal Nutritionists
