Abstract

The study was set up to evaluate whether Saponin rich guar meal extract (GS) or residual Guar gum (GG) is the main anti-nutritional compound contributing to Guar meal (GM) relatively poor feeding value for poultry. Two hundred forty 1-days-old chicks were randomly distributed among 4 treatments with 4 replicates of 15 chicks each from 1 to 21 days. Chicks were fed one of four treatments: Control broiler diet, control diet containing 5.0% GM, control diet containing 0.90% GG, and control diet containing 0.250% GS. Feed intake was the highest in chicks fed 5.0% GM from 1 to 7 days, but was the lowest in chicks fed 0.90% GG from 8 to 14 days. Over the entire course of the study from 1 to 21 days, feed conversion ratio was very poor; the highest was for chicks fed 0.250% GS as compared to other groups. The final body weight at 21 days was lower in chicks fed 0.250% GS than chicks fed 0.90% GG and control. Total body weight gain from 1 to 21 days was lower in chicks fed 0.250% GS than chicks fed 0.90% GG and control. We conclude that that there are more negative effects associated with adding 0.250% GS than 0.90% GG suggesting saponins may play a prominent role in the growth inhibition effects on feeding GM to broiler chicks.

Key words: Starter broiler chicks, Guar meal, Guar gum, saponin, performance.