On-farm evaluation of Azolla as a non-conventional feed ingredient in broiler diets under backyard rearing system Aparna1, Bhadauria Pragya2,*, Singh Satbir1, Makkar G.S.3 1Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ropar, Punjab, India 2ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Zone-1, Ludhiana, Punjab, India 3Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Samrala, Ludhiana, India *Corresponding author Email: ataripragya@gmail.com
Online Published on 15 January, 2024. Abstract The economic significance of broiler feed growth performance when utilizing Non-Conventional Feed Resources (NCFR) is a crucial aspect in the context of backyard farming. However, there is a notable lack of comprehensive statistical data in this regard up to the present day. KVK Ropar conducted an on-farm experiment to evaluate the impact of using Non-Conventional Feed Resource (NCFR) azolla as a partial substitute for concentrated feed mix on the production performance of broiler chicks. Nine-week long trial began with 120 seven days old backyard broiler chicks and continued up to 70 days of age. The broilers were randomly divided in three dietary treatment groups; T1 (control diet of concentrate mixture without azolla), T2 (diet with 5% replacement of concentrate mixture with azolla) and T3 (diet with 10% replacement of concentrate mixture with azolla). At the end of 10-week trial live weight was highest in T2 group (1210.4±9.4g) followed by T1 (1091.43±15.1g) and T3 (934.34±8.2g) groups. Feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was highest in T2 group (4146.8g and 3.67) and lowest in T3 groups (3965.84g and 4.45). In conclusion, substituting 5% of the concentrated feed mixture with azolla had a beneficial effect on the live weight gain, feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broiler birds in the context of backyard poultry production. Top Keywords Azolla, Broilers, Non-Conventional Feed Resource, Backyard, On-farm Trial. Top |