Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the nutritional status of scavenging chickens by crop content analysis and to evaluate some locally available feed ingredients under different management regimes for their potential for confined and semi-scavenging growing pullets and laying hens. The first study showed that the physical composition of the crop contents varied between the two locations and two breeds studied, and the proportions also varied according to seasonal agricultural activities. The chemical composition showed a higher metabolizable energy content in the rainy season and the crude protein content (CP < 12 %) in both areas studied did not meet requirements. The second experiment was carried out on-station with crossbred growing chickens either choice-fed maize and cowpea or given them as a complete mixed feed. Average daily gains were lower for the choice-fed treatments, and providing a vitamin-mineral supplement to the scavenging birds had no effect on performance. It was not economically advantageous to supplement maize and cowpea. In the third experiment, imported fishmeal was replaced by a mixture of local cottonseed cake and bran (wheat-maize) in diets for exotic layers kept under different management systems on-station. Egg production performance, feed conversion and gross margin were higher for the cottonseed cake and bran diet for both the confined and semi-scavenging hens. However, very poor egg production performance was seen for the scavenging only group, implying that supplementation is necessary for egg production. The final study showed CP contents of 23.4, 6.70 and 44.3 % of dry matter (DM), respectively, for traditional beer residue, shea-nut cake and cottonseed cake. True excreta digestibility of DM and the most limiting amino acids in the beer residue and cottonseed cake was high (> 90 %), indicating that these by-products are potentially useful protein supplements. However, more studies should be done, particularly with shea-nut cake, on the improvement of palatability, the optimum level of inclusion in the diets, and the nutritional availability for chickens, of these processed feedstuffs.