Evaluation of replacing maize with mango (Mangifera indica) kernel on fertility and hatchability parameters of layer hens

Gebremedhn Beyene, Mebrahtom Niguse, Letebrhan Gebreslasie and Amanuel Berhe

College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Mekelle University, P.O.Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia
sofibeyene2007@yahoo.com

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate replacing maize with mango kernel on fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality of layer hens. One hundred twenty chickens with similar body weight and age were used for the experiment. The chickens were randomly distributed to 15 pens each with 8 hens and 1 cock to the five treatments diets in completely randomized design (CRD). The chickens were kept in a deep litter housing system. The treatment rations were formulated to replace maize grain by mango kernel with 0% (MK0), 25% (MK25), 50% (MK50), 75% (MK75) and 100% (MK100). Chickens were offered a weighed amount of feed and feed leftovers were collected and weighed the next morning. The experiment lasted for 90 days during which fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality were measured.

Fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality, chick length, chick weight and chick visual score were not statistically different among the treatments. Therefore, we concluded that maize can be replaced by mango kernel up to 100% (at a rate of 390g/kg concentrate diet), since this level of replacement has not negatively affected fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality parameters.

Key words: byproduct, feed, layer diet, poultry

Introduction

Poultry production is gaining popularity in the developing countries due to its role in bridging the protein malnutrition, economic empowerment of the resource poor segment of the society and its ability to fit well in the commonly practiced farming systems. Poultry production is practiced at levels ranging from subsistence to large scale commercial operations (King’ori 2011). Bamgbose et al (2004) reported that maize (Zea mays) as a major energy source in poultry feeds accounts for between 50 and 55% of most poultry feeds. It is equally used in human nutrition thus creating a stiff competition between human and livestock. The resulting effect is high cost translating into high feed cost. This has necessitated the search for substitutes such as agro-industrial by-products and other farm residues that can replace maize wholly or partly like mango seed kernel meal (Mangifera indica) (Kperegbeyi and Onwumere 2007). However, this feed contains anti-nutrients and toxic components such as tannins which make it unsafe as protein and carbohydrate sources in livestock production (Aregheore 1992). Boiling has been reported to be effective in reducing the tannin content of mango kernel (Diarra and Usman 2008). Diarra et al (2010) reported no adverse effect of boiling on the crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract and nitrogen free-extract of the kernel.

Mango consists of between 33-85% edible pulp, with 9-40% inedible kernel and 7-24% inedible peel. Because of this, a huge amount of waste is generated during industrial processing which are serious disposal problems (Berardini et al 2005). Therefore, using this huge amount of waste for animal feed could have an important element to fill the scarcity and competition problems of feed.

However, there was lack of information in Ethiopia on the nutritional potential of mango kernel as animal feed. The current study is therefore designed to evaluate the effects of replacing maize grain with mango kernel on fertility, hatchability, and chick quality of layer hens.

Materials and methods

Description of the study area

The experiment was conducted at poultry farm of Mekelle University, located 783 km north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its altitude ranges between 2150-2250 meter above sea level and is lying between 13⁰ 28’N latitude and 39⁰ 29’E longitudes. The mean annual rainfall is 680 mm and mean annual temperature is 17⁰C (Alemayehu and Yaynshet 2011).

Experimental design and treatments

Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used. There were 5 treatments replicated 3 times. Treatments were replacing maize with mango kernel in layers’ diet at the rate of 0% (MK0), 25% (MK25), 50% (MK50), 75% (MK75) and 100% (MK100) level. The experiment started with 8 pullets and 1 cockerel per replication. The experiment used 120 bovans brown breed of hens at six months of age, and 15 cocks of the same breed and age.

Feed preparation

Mango seeds were collected from the juice extraction houses in Mekelle city and cut open using a knife to expose the kernel. The fresh kernel was chopped to reduce the particle size, boiled in tap water at 100^oC for 30 minutes, sun-dried for 72 hours, and ground in a hammer mill to pass through a 5 mm sieve. Samples of the boiled, dried and ground kernels meals were stored for chemical analysis (Diarra et al 2011). All the ingredients except, wheat short and vitamin premix was hammer milled to 5 mm sieve size and stored until required for the formulation of the experimental rations. The five treatment  rations  used  in  this  study  were  formulated  to  be iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous with  2800-2900  kcal  ME/kg  DM  and  16-17%  CP (NRC 1994)  to  meet  the  nutrient requirements of layers. Ingredients and diets analyses were according to proximate analysis method (AOAC 1990). Metabolisable energy (ME) of the experimental diets was determined by indirect method using the formula given by Wiseman (1987) as follows: ME (Kcal/kg DM) = 3951 + 54.4 EE – 88.7 CF – 40.8 Ash

Management of experimental birds

The experiment was conducted for 90 days with 7 days of adaptation to experimental diet and the new environment. Before the start of the actual experiment, the experimental pens, watering and feeding troughs, laying nests were thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and sprayed against external parasites. The birds were kept in deep litter housing system covered with teff straw of 10 cm depth with individual laying nest per replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the experiment. Artificial light was used for 16 hours per day from the start to the end of the study.

Measurements and observations

Medium size eggs were selected by visual inspection for hatchability test at 10^th and 11^th weeks of the experimental period. A total of 150 eggs, 10 eggs from each replicate were incubated for hatching. Eggs were candled for their fertility at the 7^th day of incubation by using spot candling system. Embryonic mortalities was determined by candling of eggs at 7^th (early), 14^th (mid) and 18^th (late) and 21^st (pip) days of incubation (Bonnier and Kasper 1990). Embryonic mortalities were computed as total number of dead embryos divided by total number of fertile eggs.

Chick quality was measured using visual scoring, day old chick weight and length. The mean percents of quality chicks were calculated using the ratio of quality chicks obtained and total number of chicks hatched. The visual assessments were made by the researcher and two other experienced technicians, and the quality scores were determined based on agreed decision of the three observers. Day old chick weight and length were taken by randomly taking 5 chicks per replicate and measured using sensitive balance with 0.005 sensitivity and ruler in centimeters, respectively then the average measurements were considered for statistical analysis.

Statistical analysis

The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS computer software version 9.1.3 (SAS 2008). When the analysis of variance indicated the existence of significant difference between treatment means, Tukey’s range test method was used to compare treatment means.

Results and discussion

Chemical composition of feeds

The EE of mango kernel reported by Diarra et al (2011) was 7.87 which is a similar value to that obtained for mango kernel used in the current experiment.

Fertility and hatchability of eggs

Mean values of fertility and hatchability for the treatments are presented in Table 3. Similar intake and concentration of nutrients used in all treatments might have been the reason for comparable fertility and hatchability among treatments observed in this study. Protein content of feed is known to affect fertility of an egg and its hatchability. Gabreil et al (2006) reported that levels of dietary protein significantly affected egg fertility and hatchability. As documented by Hocking et al (2002) poor hatching results occur when nutritionally deficient feeds are used for layers. Odunsi et al (2002) also stated that inadequacy of nutrients in the breeder diets resulted in poor hatchability of fertile eggs. Thus, the results of this study indicated that replacing maize with mango kernel up to 100% did not affect nutrients that enhance fertility of particularly males, and hatchability of eggs.

Embryonic mortality

There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in mortality at all stages of development among the treatments (Table 4). Hocking et al (2002) noted that the embryonic mortality of eggs of the breeder hens’ fed low protein was higher than that of hens fed high protein diets. Therefore, in the present study crude protein and energy contents of treatment diets are comparable (Table 2) and significant differences in mortality related to nutrition was not expected.

Chick quality measurements

There was no significant (P>0.05) difference in chick length, weight and visual score among the treatments (Table 4). As documented by Wilson (1991) egg weight has a direct impact on the weight of chick and a positive correlation between egg and chick weight exists. Petek et al (2009) classified length intervals in to short, middle and long for day old chicks. According to the author, broiler chick with a length of < 18, 18-18.3 and >18.3 and layer chick with a length of < 17.8, 17.8-18.2 and > 18.2 respectively are grouped as short, medium and long chicks, respectively. According to this classification, length of chicks in all treatments falls within short category.

Conclusions

• The current finding showed that replacing maize with mango kernel didn’t show a significant difference in the fertility, hatchability and chick quality.

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our acknowledgement to Mekelle University for covering all costs to undertake this piece of work. The authors are very grateful to Mekelle University poultry farm and Animal Nutrition Laboratory crews for the support and cooperation in providing poultry farm facilities and undertaking laboratory analysis and day to day assistance.

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Received 8 October 2015; Accepted 14 November 2015; Published 1 December 2015

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