Effect of supplementing rice bran with ensiled taro foliage and catfish residue  on growth performance of Guinea-fowl

Pham Tan Nha and T R Preston*

Can Tho University, VietNam
ptnha@ctu.edu.vn
* UTA (Colombia), AA#48, Santander, Colombia
regpreston@utafoundation.org

Abstract

120 Guinea-fowl, from thirty-five day-old were allocated in a Completely Randomize Design 4 groups with 3 replications for 56 day growth trial. All birds were given a basal diet of rice bran and ensiled taro foliage, mixed or fed separately, with or without by-product of catfish  as additional protein source according to a 2*2 factorial arrangement. The factors were:

• Feeding method: Mixed or free choice of rice bran and taro silage
• Protein supplement: None or 5% (DM basis) of catfish residue

Individual treatments were:

·         MET: rice bran and ensiled taro foliage mixed in ratio of 75:25 (DM basis)

·         ALET:  rice bran and ensiled taro foliage each offered ad libitum  

·         CFMET: rice bran and ensiled taro foliage mixed in ratio of 75:25 (DM basis) plus 5% of diet DM as catfish residue

·         CFALET:  rice bran and ensiled taro foliage each offered ad libitum plus 5% of diet DM as catfish residue

Dry matter ( DM) intakes were higher for ALET (101.3g/day) than  CFMET (94.2g/day) and CFALET (96.8g/day). Average daily weight gain were higher  for CFMET (16.9g/day) than CFALET, MET and ALET (15.3, 15.1 and 13.9 g/day, respectively). FCR were lower for CFMET (5.6) than CFALET, MET and ALET (6.4, 6.5 and 7.3, respectively).

Key words: Guinea-fowl, ensiled taro, catfish residue