ABSTRACT
The utilization of fruit wastes as animal feed can contribute to alleviating feed shortages in most third-world countries and simultaneously help mitigate challenges in the environment that are caused by the disintegration of the wastes. A study was done to determine the effects of the inclusion of guava fruit processing by-product in broiler chicken diets on performance. Ripe guava fruits were crushed and sieved to separate the pulp from the peels, seeds, and other fibrous content. The separated peels, seeds, and other fibrous content (referred to as the guava fruit processing by- product) was sun-dried and stored. The guava fruit processing by-product was incorporated in broiler chicken feeds at different levels 0% (GB0), 2.5% (GB2.5), 5% (GB5) and 7.5% (GB7.5). Formulated diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric in mash form for the starter and finisher phases. One hundred and sixty (160) day-old cobb-500 broiler chicks bought from a reputable commercial hatchery (kenchic Ltd) were allocated randomly to the four diets and replicated four times with ten birds in each replicate. The feed intake, weight gained and feed conversion ratio were assessed. A digestibility trial of the finisher diet was carried out at the end of the feeding period. After the end of the feeding trial, some of the birds for each treatment were slaughtered and carcass characteristics evaluated. The average daily weight gain was not affected (p>0.05) between GBO (56.53g), GB2.5 (54.88g), and GB5 (61.02g) but reduced (P<0.05) (45.68g) at higher (GB7.5) inclusion level. The average daily feed intake was similar for GB0 (59.03g) and GB2.5 (59.21g) (p>0.05) but increased at GB5 (62.47). The mean daily feed intake and weight gain at (GB7.5) were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to ther other 3. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was (p>0.05) 1.58, 1.66, 1.64 and 1.72 for the diets (GB0), (GB2.5), (GB5) and (GB7.5) reaspectively. The digestibility of the different nutrients was not significantly affected by diet. The absolute weights of the eviscerated carcass, the abdominal fat, drumstick, thigh, breast, heart, liver, spleen, gizzard, and the intestines were not affected by diet. Inclusion level did not affect the meat pH, color, crude protein, and ether extract content of the chicken breasts and thighs. The different diets did not affect the sensory attributes: after taste, fibrousness, hardness, juiciness, and oiliness. Overall acceptability was significantly affected by inclusion levels, GBO scored highest (5.4) and was different from GB2.5 (4.9), GB5 (4.91), and GB7.5 (4.58) (p>0.05). According to the findings, the guava fruit processing by-product could be included up to 5% in broiler rations with no negative consequences on the growth performance and carcass characteristic.
Key words: broilers, digestibility, performance, guava by-product, meat quality
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT iii
DEDICATION iv
CHAPTER ONE:
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information 12
1.2 Problem statement 14
1.3 Justification 15
1.4 Study Objectives 16
1.4.1 General objective 16
1.4.2 Specific objectives 16
1.4.3 Hypothesis 16
CHAPTER TWO
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The poultry industry in Kenya 17
2.2 Constraints to poultry production 17
2.3 Guava production in Kenya 19
2.4 Guava processing 20
2.5 Guava processing by-products 21
2.6 Chemical composition of Guava processing by-products 22
2.7 Inclusion of guava processing by-products in livestock rations 23
2.8 Digestibility of guava based diets 24
CHAPTER THREE
3 MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study area 27
3.2 Preparation of guava by-product 27
3.3 Experimental Diets and feeding 28
3.4 Experimental birds 29
3.5 Data collection 30
3.5.1 Feed intake and body weight gain 30
3.5.2 Carcass characteristics 31
3.5.3 Sensory analysis 32
3.5.4 Digestibility test 32
3.5.5 Chemical analyses 34
3.6 Data analysis 35
CHAPTER FOUR
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Chemical composition 36
4.1.1 Chemical composition of the guava by-product 36
4.1.2 Chemical composition of the experimental diets 37
4.2 Growth performance 38
4.3 Diet digestibility 46
4.4 Carcass characteristics 47
4.4.1 Absolute and Dressed % weights 47
4.5 Meat quality 51
4.5.1 Chemical analysis 51
4.5.2 Meat pH 52
4.5.3 Meat color 54
4.5.4 Sensory analysis 55
CHAPTER FIVE
5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion 57
5.2 Recommendations 57
5.3 Areas for further research 58
6 REFERENCES 59
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Ingredients nutrient composition 28
Table 2: Chemical composition (%DM) of sundried the guava processing by-product 36
Table 3: Chemical composition (% DM) of experimental broiler diets 37
Table 4: Effect of inclusion of guava fruit processing by-product in broiler diets on performance 38
Table 5: Effects of the level of inclusion of the guava by-product on apparent digestibility (%) of
dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and gross energy in broiler chicken 46
Table 6: The effects of level of inclusion of the guava fruit processing by-product in broiler
chicken diets on the absolute and dressed % weights (g) of carcass and main carcass cuts 49
Table 7: The effect of level of inclusion of the guava fruit processing by-product in broiler
chicken diets on the absolute and dressed % weight (g) of internal viscera and other parts of the
chicken carcass 49
Table 8: The effect of level of inclusion of guava fruit processing by-product on the moisture,
crude protein and fat content (%) of thigh and breast muscle of broiler chicken 51
Table 9: The effect of level of inclusion of the guava fruit processing by-product on the pH of
thigh and breast meat taken within 30 minutes of slaughter. 53
Table 10: The impact of different inclusion levels of the guava processing by-product in broiler
feed on the of the thigh and breast meat colour 55
Table 11: The effect of level of inclusion of the guava fruit processing by-product on the sensory
attributes of broiler meat. 55
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Sun-drying of the guava by-product 28
Figure 2: Cages placed in the poultry house 30
Figure 3: Birds placed in the metabolic cages 33
Figure 4: Sun-drying of the daily collected fecal material 34
Figure 5: Trends in weekly feed intake of birds fed on broiler diets with different guava fruit
processing by-product inclusions. The bars represent the standard error of the mean. 43
Figure 6: Trends in weekly weight gain of birds fed on broiler diets with different levels of guava
fruit processing by-product inclusion. The bars represent the standard error of the mean. 44
Figure 7: Trends in the weekly feed conversion ratio of birds fed on broiler diets with different
levels of guava fruit processing by-product inclusion. The bars represent the standard error of the
mean. 45
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AODF - antioxidant dietary fiber
FAO – Food and agriculture organization GDP – Gross domestic product
HCD – Horticultural crops directorate
HCDA – Horticultural crops development authority HPAI –Highly pathogenic avian influenza
KALRO – Kenya agricultural and livestock research organization MoLD – Ministry of livestock development
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
Poultry plays a vital role in the livelihoods of people, making a significant contribution to domestic food security world wide. Poultry aids in the diversification of earnings and employment, renewable asset, and contributes to livelihood and social security (Riise et al., 2005; Sonaiya, 2015). Poultry is not only a source of food but also a source of fertilizer from poultry manure, tourism, culture, and sports (Omiti & Okuthe, 2008).
Feed comprises up to 60-70% of the production cost in commercial poultry systems (Lukuyu et al., 2011), with about 95% of the total feed cost being attributed to energy and protein sources (Abdollahi et al., 2013). Poultry feed to satisfy their energy requirement and as such, energy source ingredients comprise the largest proportion of poultry diets, followed by protein sources (FAO, 2013).
In the developed world, there has been rerouting of maize grains from animal feeds to ethanol production leading to serious grain supply problems and a dramatic increase in prices in the world market (FAO, 2013). In Kenya, where maize is the staple food, it may not be available for animal feed and, if available, at a very high price (Jacob et al., 1996). The increased cost of production leads to higher prices of poultry products. To increase margins for the farmer, different cheaper feed ingredients are to be sought (FAO, 2013).
The use of ingredients from the food processing industry, mainly from cereals, is common in Kenya (Hasan et al., 2007). However, there has been a minimal attempt to use by-products from the fruit processing industries. This has been attributed to the fact that most of the agro-industrial processing is based on cereals, as in many other developing countries, where the population consumes diets with carbohydrate-rich cereals and less high-value meat, fruits, and vegetables (Industries & Development, 2009). Consumers in developing countries are now shifting their demand towards foods that reflect increased nutrient value and also value-added products (Gehlhar & Regmi, 2014).
Due to increased awareness of health benefits of fruit consumption, the processing industry is expanding (Ayala et al., 2011). Wastes from the processing of fruits pose a problem of environmental pollution which is of great concern. The process of disposing of the wastes by utilizing them as animal feeds and fertilizers could be a good option (Jorge, 2005).
The guava fruit is referred to as a ‘tropical apple’ or a ‘fruit of the poor’ and is common under the subtropical and tropical climate (Singh, 2007). Due to its many nutrients, it is known as a super fruit (Verma et al., 2013). It contains high levels of natural vitamin C compared to oranges and tomatoes (Singh, 2007). The by-products from guava fruit processing include seeds, peels, and fibrous tissue from the skin that are a result of pulping (Omayio et al., 2019; Kowalska et al., 2017). By-products from fruit processing have high amounts of bioactive substances plus dietary fibers (O'Shea et al., 2015). The utilization of guava processing by-products as animal feed has recently been ranked highly by FAO (Bakshi et al., 2016). In Kenya, there has been a recorded increase in guava fruit production and the area under guava production with a lot of unexploited potential (HCD, 2014; HCD, 2016; HCD, 2017).
Guava wastes have been used as animal feed ingredients, including in rations of layers, broilers, pigs, lambs, and rabbits. The adoption of guava by-products in poultry feed has been documented (El-Deek et al., 2009; El-Deek et al. 2009b: Oliveira et al., 2018). However, there is no documentation of the use of different guava by-products as animal feed in Kenya. Little is also known about their nutritional composition (of the by-products), and thus there is a need for documentation of the same. The need for this information is due to the increased guava growing in Kenya, which will lead to increased processing, thus more by-products.
This study assessed the outcomes of the inclusion of guava fruit processing by-product in the feeds of broiler chicken on the amount of feed consumed and weight gained, digestibility, carcass yield, and carcass traits.
1.2 Problem statement
The world population is rising, with much of the increase (3.5-fold) happening in Africa (Gerland et al., 2014; Onsongo et al., 2018). By 2050, 60–70% more animal protein will be demanded in the world (Bakshi et al., 2016). Increased output of poultry meat is unavoidable, and it is likely to exacerbate the problem of expensive regular feeding (Onsongo et al., 2018). As livestock is one of the fast-growing subsectors of agriculture in emerging countries, this has resulted in increased demand for animal feeds. Lack of high-quality feeds and food insecurity are the major problems in the developing world, leading to food-feed competition (Bakshi et al., 2016).
Since feed represents 60-70% of the cost of poultry farming, alternate feed ingredients need to be frequently evaluated (Leeson, S., 2005). There is a need to enlarge the feed resource base and ensure there is an efficient use of available ones to meet the demand for animal feed. Novel feed sources, especially those that are not competing with human food, are key in the development of the livestock sector.
In the fruit processing industry, waste disposal has become an environmental problem (Fontanari et al., 2008). Environmentalists are disturbed by the pollution generated by the wastes disposed of from the agro-industries reinforcing the requirement for waste management (Jorge, 2005; Hussain et al., 2019). Agro-industrial processing generates millions of tons of by-product around the world. Of the total byproducts produced, some amounts are used in fields as manure, some incorporated in animal feeds, and most are disposed to the environment without treatment leading to pollution (Sadh et al., 2018). The fate of the wastes as handled leads to economic losses in the supply chain as a good amount is enriched with bioactive compounds, and some are in a position of preventing oxidative damage (Melo et al., 2011; Maria et al., 2012). It may also lead to increased greenhouse gases emanation from the dumpsites and overall environmental pollution (Zhang et al., 2019).
1.3 Justification
Several developing countries are shifting their cropping patterns away from grains and towards more profitable vegetable and fruit crops (Wadhwa & Bakshi, 2013). As a result, massive amounts of fruit and vegetable waste will be produced in the future. By converting them to animal feed, these might potentially be recycled and returned to the food chain (Bakshi et al., 2016). The guava tree produces many fruits annually with minimal input, resulting in many farmers taking up commercial cultivation of the guavas due to the profit margins (Singh, 2007; Kadam et al., 2012; Omayio et al., 2020).
Animal feed made from fruits and vegetable waste can help to alleviate feed inadequacy in most underdeveloped nations (Wadhwa et al., 2015). Simultaneously, it will aid in the mitigation of environmental issues caused by the degradation of such wastes. To fully utilize the animal husbandry potential of such wastes and by-products, concerted research and commercial initiatives are required. The use of these wastes is also anticipated to lower feeding costs, resulting in increased profits for animal keepers (Bakshi et al., 2016).
The study will provide an alternative feed source that will not compete with human beings, which is relatively cheaper and a solution to environmental degradation.
1.4 Study Objectives
1.4.1 General objective
Effort to mitigate against cost of broiler production by using guava fruit processing by-product in broiler chicken feed as an alternative feed source.
1.4.2 Specific objectives
1. To determine the proximate composition of the guava by-product.
2. To determine the effects of inclusion of different levels of guava fruit processing by- product in broiler diets on the feed intake, live weight gain, feed conversion ratio and carcass quality.
3. To determine the digestibility of the formulated finisher diets.
1.4.3 Hypothesis
1. The inclusion of different levels of guava fruit processing by-product in the broiler feeds does not significantly influence feed intake, live weight gain, feed efficiency, and carcass quality.
2. The inclusion of different levels of guava fruit processing by-product in the broiler finisher feeds does not affect the digestibility of the diets.
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