Performance of Finisher Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Rumen Digesta Filtrate Fermented Earth Ball (Icacinia manni) Meal

This study was designed to evaluate the proximate composition and feeding value of rumen digesta filtrate (RDF) fermented earth ball meal on finisher broilers. The RDF was prepared by weighing 1kg of the fresh rumen digesta into a bucket containing one litre of water, stirred, filtered and incubated for 48 hours. The incubated RDF was used to ferment earth ball which had been previously grated into paste. After fermentation, the RDF and water fermented earth ball meals were sundried and their proximate composition determined. Five broiler finisher diets were formulated, using RDF fermented earth ball meal to replace maize in the control diet at four levels. One hundred and fifty, 28 days old broiler birds were divided into five groups and each assigned to one of the five diets in a completely randomized design and fed for 28 days. Water and RDF fermentation medium increased (P<0.05) the crude protein content of the earth ball meal from 3.06% to 7.33 and 5.21%, respectively. The gross energy was reduced to 2.28 kcal/g by water fermentation media, while the crude fibre was reduced by RDF media to 9.64%. Water fermentation reduced the concentration of nitrogen free extract to 51.26%. The ether extract digestibility increased significantly from 54.17% in birds on control diet to 68.47% in birds fed 10% RDF earth ball meal diet. The cost of producing a kilogram of control diet (₦132.98) was higher relative to treatment diets (₦115.49- ₦118.86). Birds fed treatment diets had the lowest cost of feed consumption (₦ 14.54 - ₦16.70) relative to those on control diet (₦ 19.22). It was relatively cheaper to produce a kilogram of meat on diet containing 10% RDF fermented earth ball meal. It was concluded that RDF fermented earth ball meal could replace maize at 20% in broiler finisher’s diet, during maize scarcity.