Dietary Energy and Crude Protein Requirement for Chicks of Nigeria Local Fowl and Crossbreeds

Abstract

Unsexed chicks of the Nigeria local fowl were mated inter se and the birds mated with males of improved eggs strain (local x medium) or from broiler strain (local x large) were raised on 240g/kg or 200g/kg dietary crude protein and 3000kcal/kg of metabolizable energy from day old to 12 weeks of age on deep litter to determine their performance on different dietary energy and crude protein rations. Whereas the pure local birds grew significantly (P< 0.05) slower than the crossbreeds and were not affected in growth rate by dietary regime, the crossbreeds showed improved benefit from the higher dietary crude protein with age to the extent of their growth potentials. Initial rearing of the birds had the most favourable effect with the local birds crossed with broiler type on 240g/kg followed by 200g/kg crude protein transferred at 8 weeks of age of the birds, while the local birds crossed with egg type males are intermediate. The performance of the birds was worse regardless of the initial dietary crude protein and the age of transfer. It is concluded that the Nigerian Local fowl performs slower than their crossbreeds and are unaffected in growth rate by dietary manipulations.