Growth Performance of Starter Broilers Fed Different Levels of Lemongrass and Pawpaw Leaf Meal

Background and Objective: Plant-based substances have now become more popular in the poultry sector and because of this animal nutritionists have diverted interest from synthetic feed additives to plant herbal-based substances, such as leaves of plants to boost growth and suppress negative microbial population in poultry gastrointestinal tract which usually compete with the host animal for nutrients from the feed consumed. This research is therefore tailored towards determining the response of starter broilers fed graded levels of lemongrass and pawpaw leaf meal. Materials and Methods: A total number of 96, day-old broiler chicks of the Ross 308 strain were used for the research work. The experiment was conducted at the poultry site of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Four experimental diets were formulated at 3% inclusion levels, with diet 1 containing 0% lemongrass and pawpaw leaf meal, which served as the control. Diets 2, 3, and 4 contained lemongrass and pawpaw leaf meal at the levels and ratios of 0.75:2.25, 1.50:1.50, and 2.25:0.75, respectively. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, and significant means were compared with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a 5% significance level. Results: Dietary effect on growth performance parameters reported showed that results obtained were not significantly (p>0.05) affected across the treatment group for final body weight, body weight gain, daily feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Birds in treatment 1 had similar values of 885.72, 771.43, 790.48, and 800.00 g for final body weight. The feed conversion ratio had a value of 1.86 in treatment 1, which did not differ (p>0.05) from the values of 2.13, 2.11, and 1.90 seen in treatments 2, 3, and 4. Values obtained for the cost of kg of feed had a value of 876 in treatment 1, which differed from the values of 802.55 seen in treatments 2, 3, and 4. Value for cost-benefit ratio was better off in treatment 1 with 5.35, while the least performed group was observed in treatment 2 with 11.67 which did not differ statistically from those in treatment 3. Treatment 4 had a cost-benefit ratio of 6.36. Conclusion: It can be concluded that processed lemongrass and pawpaw leaf meal are viable in the diet of starter broiler birds up to the inclusion level of 3% combination without any negative impact.