title: Palm kernel cake as a broiler feed ingredient.
abstract: A total of 600 Bosbek day-old broiler chicks (Akropong Farms, Kumasi, Ghana) were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments containing 0, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15% palm kernel cake (PKC), respectively. All diets were isoproteinaceous (21% crude protein). The addition of PKC had no significant influence on feed consumption and body weight (P less than .05) up to 8 wk of age. Feed conversion efficiency, in contrast, significantly (P less than .05) declined as PKC levels reached 12.5% of the diet or higher. Mean feed conversion efficiency values were 2.74, 2.85, 2.85, 2.89, 3.14, and 3.21, respectively, for birds fed 0, 5, 7, 5, 10, 12.5, and 15% PKC. The use of PKC considerably reduced feed costs, but profit over production costs nevertheless favored the control diet containing no PKC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Osei
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amo
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins