The effect of feed wetting and fermentation on the performance of broiler chick

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feed wetting and fermented feed on the performance of broiler chicks. Four experimental diets were used in the study. Diet 1, was a conventional commercial broiler starter feed. Diet 2 was a commercial broiler starter feed in a 1:1.2 dilution with water. Diet 3, was a water diluted commercial feed inoculated with Bactocell™ and fermented for 24 hours at 35 o C in an incubator. Diet 4 was fermented feed add with 6% copper sulphate solution at the rate of 1ml to 10g of feed, to then incubated for 24 hours. 180 day old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to the four experimental diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment group was replicated four times with 15 birds per replicate. Results showed that feed intake and weight gain were significantly higher (P 0.05) difference between the birds fed liquid diets in all the response parameters measured. The results also indicated that the treatments had no significant effect on the carcass characteristics of the birds. The results of this experiment showed that feeding fermented and unfermented liquid diets improved the performance of the birds.