Nutrient content of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) and the effects of its inclusion on the performance of growing broiler chickens and on egg production and quality

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) was analysed for its nutrients content, and subsequently included into standard wheat-soyabean meal diets at the expense of wheat and soyabean meal. All diets had similar crude protein and total lipids contents and met the amino acids, minerals and vitamins requirements according to NRC (1994). In the 1(st) experiment broiler chickens, kept in individual metabolic cages, were allotted to either a control, or one of 4 test groups, ten birds per treatment. The experiment lasted from 12(th) to 27(th) day of life. Growth performance, nutrient balance and energy metabolizability were determined. In a 2(nd) experiment 35-weeks old Lohmann laying hens were allotted into 4 deep litter pens of 5 layers each. Birds received either a control diet or a test diet containing 451 g Bambara/kg feed. During 10 weeks, egg production and quality were determined. Bambara groundnut inclusion in growing broiler diets had no effect on the feed intake; it contains 12.6 MJ AME/kg DM. There was a progressive decrease in weight gain of the chickens, significant at and above 571 g/kg inclusion. Inclusion of 45 1 g Bambara/kg layers feed had no significant effect on egg production and the quality of eggs fell within an acceptable range.