Impact of Dietary Full Fat, Solvent Extracted Soybean and Unrefined Soybean Oil on the Growth Performance, Gut pH, Carcass and Bone Traits of Broiler Chickens.

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of dietary full-fat soybean (FFSB), heat-treated soybean (HTSB), and unrefined soybean oil (USO) on the growth performance, gut pH, carcass characteristics, and bone traits of broiler chickens. A total of 200 Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, with each treatment replicated five times. Performance indicators such as feed intake, body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured weekly. Gut pH was measured from digesta samples taken from the crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and caeca. Carcass yield and bone traits, including bone weight and breaking strength, were assessed at the end of the study. The results indicated that the dietary inclusion of soybean products significantly influenced growth performance, with the HTSB diet yielding the highest weight gain and better FCR (P < 0.05). Gut pH was significantly (P <0.05) lower in birds fed USO diets, particularly in the gizzard and ileum, may suggest enhanced enzymatic activity. Carcass yield was highest in birds fed FFSB, while HTSB-fed birds exhibited superior bone strength and weight (P < 0.05). The study showed that the inclusion of HTSB and FFSB in broiler diets improved growth performance, carcass traits, and bone health, while USO positively influenced gut pH. Birds fed heat-treated soybean diet (HTSB) did not only increase feed cost but also the production economic index. In place of soybean meal, heat-treated soybean diet (HTSB) is recommended to Ghanaian poultry farms for better growth performance of broilers. The study started in January, 2024 and ended in March, 2024.