EFFECT OF FEEDING DRIED CABBAGE (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) LEAF RESIDUES ON BROILER PERFORMANCE, ILEAL DIGESTIBILITY AND TOTAL TRACT NUTRIENT RETENTION

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding dried cabbage leaf residues (DCLR) on Arbor Acre broiler performance, ileal digestibility and total tract nutrient retention. Dietary treatments include 4 levels of DCLR (0, 4, 8, and 12%). One hundred and forty-four one-day old Arbor Acre broilers chickens were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments (4 replicates; 9 birds/replicate) and grown over a 35-days experimental period in a completely randomized design. Digestibility study started from day 26. Titanium dioxide was included in all experimental diets (0.25%) as an indigestible marker. Results showed that feeding DCLR had no effects on growth performance of the birds. However, average FI decreased (linear effect, P = <0.001) as the level of DLCR in the diet increased. Inclusion of DCLR significantly increased apparent ileal dry matter digestibility (linear effect P= 0.004), crude fibre-CF (Linear effect P<0.001, quadratic effect=0.003) and crude protein (linear effect P= 0.003) digestibility. The highest digestibility was observed for birds fed 8% DCLR.� Apparent total tract nutrient retention (ATTR) increased in the supplemented diets but a reduction was observed in the retention of CF (linear effect P<0.001, quadratic effect=0.003). However, no differences in ATTR were observed between other treatments. It was concluded that the inclusion of DCLR in broiler diets up to 12% had no negative impact on bird performance and apparent ileal digestibility and improved apparent total tract nutrient retention.