Effects of Supplemental Lemongrass and Pawpaw Leaf Meal on Finisher Broilers’ Performance

Background and Objective: The diversity of plant-based materials and their uses in the livestock sector, especially in the poultry industry cannot be over-emphasized. Poultry birds and their end users stand great risk with the continuous use of synthetic feed additives which have over the years proven to be negatively inclined both to the birds and to their end users. Hence, the aim and objectives of the present work are geared towards the impact of finisher broilers fed supplemental levels of lemon grass and pawpaw leaf meal. Materials and Methods: A Ross 308 broiler strain of ninety-six in number was used for the experiment. The birds were purchased at four weeks of age for the research work. The research 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% lemon grass and pawpaw leaf meal, which served as the control. Diets 2, 3, and 4 contained lemon grass 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 obtained from the experiment were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and significant means were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a 5% significance level. Results: The effect of diets on growth performance was significantly (p<0.05) influenced for final body weight, body weight gain, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, but was similar in daily feed intake. Dietary effect on final body weight was superior in treatment 4 with a value of 2270 g, which was not significantly different from the value of 2150 g observed in treatment 1. The least value of 2000 g was seen in treatment 3 which did not differ from the value of 2060 g obtained in treatment 2. Feed conversion ratio had the highest value of 1.43 in treatment 3 while the lowest value of 1.23 was reported in treatment 4. The cost of feed consumed was highest in treatment 1 with a value of #1561.82, which was not significantly different from the value of 1440.64 observed in treatment 4. The lowest value of 1361.09 was observed in treatment 3. The value reported for cost-benefit ratio had the largest value of 8.10 in treatment 3 which was significantly different from the value of 3.86 reported as the least for cost-benefit ratio in treatment 4. Conclusion: It can be deduced that the inclusion of lemongrass and pawpaw leaf meal in the diet of finisher broiler chickens was possible up to a combination level of 3% with the best results obtained in treatment 4 (2.25:0.75 lemon grass to pawpaw leaf meal).