PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED RAW AND TOASTED SESAME SEED (Sesanum indicum, L) AS A SOURCE OF METHIONINE

A trial was conducted to determine the performance and economics of production of broiler chickens fed raw and toasted sesame seed meal as a dietary source of methionine. A total of two hundred (200) day old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were allocated to five dietary treatments with forty (40) birds per treatment in a completely randomized design. Average daily feed intake (ADFI) at both starter (1-4 weeks) and finisher (5-8 weeks) phases were not significant. The values ranged from 50.29 to 57.86g and 102.48 to 122.15g for the starter and finisher phases respectively. The average daily weight gain (ADWG) which was between 20.61 and 23.21g for the starter and between 40.27 and 49.72g for the finisher followed similar trends. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was also not significant for both starter and finisher phases. Mortality was high for the raw (5 and 10%) and 10% toasted sesame seed meal; four (4) birds in each case across the phases. Total feed intake (kg/bird) was high for the control birds (4.91kg/bird) compared to the other treatments. Feed coat (N/kg feed) and total feed cost (N/bird) were between N52.64-54.71/kg feed and N234.16-258.51/bird respectively. Total weight gain (kg/bird) was similar for both raw and toasted sesame seed meal irrespective of inclusion level. Feed cost (N/kg gain) was lowest for the control diet (N129.23) and highest for birds on 10% raw sesame seed meal (N149.54). Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that raw or toasted sesame seed meal can be included in broiler diets up to 10% level to substitute for synthetic methionine without adverse effects on growth performance.