Published Article

ABSTRACT

This study sought to examine the graded levels of moringa oleifera leaf meal as a determinant of egg production performance of layers/egg quality parameters and haematological/serum biochemical characteristics of broilers and layers. To carry out the study, two research objectives were employed. The study was carried out at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resource Management, University of Calabar, Calaber, Cross River State Nigeria. Fresh Moringa oleifera leaves were harvested from Moringa trees and collected at Ugbo Village in Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State and transported to Calabar. The test material (Moringa oleifera) leaves were dried under shade at room temperature of 32°C by spreading them on concrete slabs and allowed drying for two (2) weeks after which they were milled with a grinder to produce the meal of 0.35mm sieve size. The processed test material (the mealed sample of Moringa oleifera leaf) was bottled in an air tight container for chemical analysis to ascertain the effect of graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on egg production performance of layers and egg quality parameters and the effect of graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on the haematological and serum biochemical characteristics of broilers and layers. The methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), 2010 were used in determining the nutritional compositions of MOLM and experimental diets. The study concluded that Feeding of MOLM in the present study improves the shelf life of an egg by minimizing the rapid increasing of the yolk. During storage of eggs, the albumen increases and this is thought to be related to the deterioration of albumen quality. One of the recommendations made was that Moringa oleifera leaf meal could be used up to 10.00 percent in both broiler and layer diets.

KEYWORDS:           Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM), Broiler and layers, Egg production, Haematological and Serum biochemical characteristics