Apparent Nutrient Digestibility and Carcass Yield of Broiler Chickens Fed Cooked Shea Nut Cake Diets of Different Fermentation Periods

Abstract

Cake of shea nut is an agroforestry by-product and residue after fat extraction from shea nuts for fat with no economic value and its increasing output has become an environmental issue lately. A 30-day study was conducted to investigate the apparent nutrient digestibility and carcass yield of broiler chicken fed cooked cake of shea nut diets of different fermentation periods. A total of 144 unsexed Arbor Acres Plus day-old broiler chickens were divided into four dietary treatments with four replicates of nine birds each in a completely randomized design. The results showed that fermentation enhanced the nutrient profile of cake of shea nut meal especially concerning crude protein and crude fiber as compared to raw cake of shea nut meal. The treatment values for crude protein and crude fiber digestibility showed significant (p < 0.05) differences amongst the dietary treatments while other nutrient parameters measured were not significantly (p > 0.05) different. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference amid the treatment means for the control (carcass, breast and liver yield) and the carcass, breast and liver yield of broiler chickens fed diets containing different periods of fermented-cooked cake of shea nut meal.