Philippine E-Journals

The Effect of Feeding Janitor Fish (Pterygoplichthys Disjunctivus) Meal on the Performance of Broilers

M.j.p. Olut | Domingo B. Roxas

Discipline: Agriculture, Animal Science

 

Abstract:

The feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of feeding two levels (5, 10%) of janitor fishmeal in broiler diets. A total of 180 day-old chicks (straight run) were group-brooded for seven days,-then randomly distributed at 8th day to five treatments with six replicates per treatment, in a completely randomized design. The diets were: (1) corn-soya (control, no fishmeal), (2) corn-soya- 5% fishmeal analogue, (3) corn-soya-5% uncooked janitor fishmeal, (4) corn-soya-5% cooked janitor fishmeal, and (5) corn-soya-IO% cooked janitor fishmeal. The broilers were fed with their respective treatment diets from 8th to 42nd day. The results showed that feed intake increased with the inclusion of janitor fishmeal. Cooking the fish did not increase feed intake. Feed intake did not differ between fishmeal analogue and janitor fish meal. Broilers on control diet had lower live weight gain than those that received fishmeal analogue or janitor fishmeal. The feed conversion efficiency was least in broilers not receiving any form of fishmeal. Broilers fed with 10% janitor fishmeal had the best feed efficiency. The results indicated that fishmeal inclusion even at 5% could improve the feed efficiency of chicks. Increasing the fishmeal level to 10% improved further the feed efficiency. Cooking the fish did not affect feed efficiency. Inclusion of janitor fishmeal increased the income over feed and chick costs.