The effect of partial replacement of maize by date pits on broiler performance

Abstract

This experiment was carried out in the poultry farm of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kufa, from 24/10/2016 to 29/11/2017. Two hundred fourty unsexed one-day old Ross broiler's chicks were allocated to four treatments in two replicates of 30 chicks each. The treatments were: T1 (control)contained corn without date pits; T2 (5% date pits replacement of corn); T3 (10% date pits replacement of corn).T4(15% date pits replacement of corn).The results showed that no significant differences in live body weight, feed intake during the periods 0-5 weeks of age while there were significant differences(pd"0.05)in feed conversion ratio and the best value recorded in (T1)1.72 and the lowest in (T4) 1.84which contained 15% date pits. No significant differences in the percentage of giblets weight, intestinal length, carcass weight, dressing percentage, cut-up parts of carcass. It can be concluded that it is possible to completely replace date pits at 15% for corn without negative effects on dressing percentage and carcass cuts.