Soltan, 2009. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 21 (3)

Five hundred one-day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were used to investigate the efficacies of replacing soybean bean meal by palm kernel cake (PKC) in broiler chick's diets on an ideal protein basis without or with enzyme supplementation were evaluated. Five experimental diets were formulated containing 0.0%, 5%, 10% 15% and 20% PKC and fed without or with enzyme supplementation to broiler chicks for 6 weeks.

PKC inclusion at 5% and 10% of broiler chick diets non significantly (P>0.05) reduced body weight (BW) and daily weight gain (DBG) when compared with control while the higher dietary inclusion levels of PKC (15% and 20%) reduced (P<0.05) BW and DBG. Moreover PKC increase daily feed intake and deteriorate FCR, PER and EEU when compared with control. However, PKC improve HI antibody titer to Newcastle disease vaccine of broiler chickens and increased phagocytic activity and index when compared with control. In regards to carcass traits, PKC inclusion had no effect (P>0.05) on dressing percent and liver relative weight while increase (P<0.05) gizzard relative weight and improved relative weight of immune organs (spleen, bursa and thymus gland) when compared with control. Enzyme supplementation improved BW, DBG, FCR, PER, EEU, phagocytic activity and index, dressing% and immune organs relative weights when compared with chick group fed on the same diets without enzyme supplementation and the efficacy of enzyme was more pronounced with increasing PKC inclusion levels in broiler diets.

The present results showed that PKC can be included in broiler chick diet at 10% without adverse affect on growth performance parameters while 20% of PKC can be used with enzyme supplementation and the results strongly recommended PKC usage for improvement of bird's health and immune response.