Effect of feeding malori (Rumexhastatus) leaves on growth performance of commercial broiler chickens

In a randomized block design, using 180, day-old commercial broiler chicks of Vencobbstrain, the effect of feeding of malori (Rumexhastatus) leaves @ 6, 10% and a commercial enzyme @ 35g/q (TTZyme ® from TTK Health care) were compared with the birds receiving control feed, and the treatments were designated as M6, M10, CE and C, respectively. Each treatment had 45 chicks with three replicates of 15 chicks per replicate. The broilers were offered starter diets upto 4 weeks of age and were reared in battery brooders; thereafter they were offered finisher diets in 5^th and 6^th week of age. At the end of 6^th week, 6 birds from each treatment were sacrificed to record dressing percentage. The body weights, gain in weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of all the treatment groups were significantly improved over the C group and there was a saving of 15.36 to 19.5 percentage FCR in treatment groups. It was concluded that feeding of malori leaves significantly (P<0.05) improved the FCR which was comparable to the use of enzyme. Malori can be used@ 10% in broiler rations when it is available free-of cost and upto 6% when cost of collection is taken into account, to save the feeding cost by 9.13 and 2.99%, respectively, compared to the use of enzyme.