Abstract
The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeding sunflower meal on the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. A total of six hundred day-old male Arbor Acre chicks were allotted to a completely randomized experimental design. There were four levels of 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% sunflower meal with five replicates each for forty-two days trial.
The inclusion of different concentrations of sunflower meal did not alter the productive performance of the birds. There were not significant differences in body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality, and the European Production Efficiency Factor (E.P.E.F.) index among the experimental groups (P≥0.05). During 22-42 days of trial, the inclusion of 12 % sunflower meal was the highest in feed intake but it was only significant differences between the inclusion of 8 % sunflower meal group (p<0.05). However, the inclusion of 12 % sunflower meal had higher feed intake and mortality than the other groups for the whole period of trial (p>0.05). The E.P.E.F. index were 299.76, 320.25, 343.22, and 298.90 for the birds fed with 0 %, 4 %, 8 %, and 12 %, of sunflower meal in the diet, respectively.
The inclusion of sunflower meal from 4 %, 8 %, and 12 % had no effect on carcass percentage and cut yield of broilers. They were breast, fillet, three joint wings, thigh, and drumstick, including abdominal fat.
