Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the proximate composition of pepperfruit and its dietary effect on growth and apparent nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens. A total of one hundred and fifty day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five treatment groups containing thirty chicks each. Each treatment was replicated three times, containing 10 birds per replicate. The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design (CRD). Five diets were formulated to represent the treatments (T1 - T5). Treatment one (T1) was the control diet containing no pepperfruit, while T2, T3, T4 and T5 contained 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.0% pepperfruit respectively. The diets were fed to the birds starting from day old for 28 days (starter phase) and 21 days for finisher phase. The birds were allowed access to feed and water ad libitum. Results showed that the pepperfruit contained crude protein 15.76%, ether extract 4.95%, crude fibre 14.87% and ash 4.64%. At the starter phase, live weight, feed intake and protein efficiency ratio were not significantly (P>0.05) improved. At the finisher phase, 0.75% and 1.0% depressed live weight, while 0.25% and 0.50% had similar live weight as the control. Total feed intake was reduced (P<0.05) by pepperfruit at all levels. Feed: gain ratio and protein efficiency ratio were not altered. Digestibility of protein and ether extract was improved. In conclusion, 0.25% pepperfruit could be added to diets for broiler chickens to improve apparent protein and ether extract digestibility.