Year: 2017 | Month: December | Volume 7 | Issue 6
Carcass Characteristic and Physico-chemical Properties of Broiler Chicken Meat Supplemented with Azolla pinnata
Abstract:
An experiment was conducted on 110, day old commercial poultry broiler birds which were divided into 5 groups (1 control and 4 treatments) within 2 replicates having 11 chicks in each replicate. Four levels of Azolla were included in the diet i.e. 2.5 percent Azolla, 2.5 percent Azolla with carbohydrase and phytase enzymes, 5.0 percent Azolla and 5.0 percent Azolla with carbohydrase and phytase enzymes served as components of treatment T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, where as T0 served as standard control diet. These dietary treatments were arranged in complete randomized block design and analyzed for the carcass, physico-chemical and sensory quality of meat. Results revealed that the overall acceptability of cooked meat was significantly higher (P<0.05) in broilers offered Azolla meal at 5 percent substitution. The breast meat yield and cooking yield value was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Azolla fed groups. There was significantly (P<0.05) higher gizzard weight in treatment T1 and treatment T2 offered 2.5 percent Azolla substituted feed as compared to the control T0. The results may be attributed to improved digestibility of nutrients because of better gizzard functioning owing to increased thickness and increased gastro-duodenal reflexes facilitating the contact between nutrients and digestive enzymes. Based on the findings it can be concluded that dried Azolla meal can be safely administered as unconventional feed ingredient in commercial poultry broiler feed up to 5 per cent level without affecting the organoleptic parameters.
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