Effect of Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) Seed Meal on the Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

A 56 days study was conducted using two hundred (200) Anak – 2000 one week old chicks to evaluate the effects of feeding varying levels of pumpkin seed meal (PSM) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. The chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments consisting of four replicates of ten birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Five broiler chicken (starter and finisher) diets were formulated such that diet T1 (control) contained 0.0% pumpkin seed meal (PSM) while diets T2, T3, T4 and T5 contained 5.0%, 10.0%, 15.00% and 20.0% PSM respectively. The study lasted for 56 days. The result of growth performance showed that, final body weight, total body weight gain and average daily weight gain significantly increased (P<0.05) as the levels of PSM increased in the diets. While total feed intake and feed conversion ratio did not differ significantly among dietary treatments There was significant differences (P<0.05) among dietary treatments for live weight and dressed weight, though no particular pattern was observed. Dressing percent, breast, thigh, abdominal fat, kidney, gizzard, liver and lungs weights did not differ significantly as the levels of PSM increased in the diets. It was concluded from the study that pumpkin seed meal is a good source of crude protein and can substitute soybean meal in a broiler chicken diet up to 20.00% since the study did not record any adverse effect on the internal organs.