Abstract

Several trials has been conducted by poultry nutritionist in evaluating effects of soybean processing on its nutritive value and the performance of broilers without clearly declaring the best processing method to be adopted by farmers that will give them on the average a cumulative best result output. A qualitative selection approach was thus adopted in the evaluation of different processing methods of soya beans (Glycine max) on its nutritive value and the performance of broilers using published results from the same authors who conducted an experiment using four thermal processing methods (extrusion, cooking, toasting and roasting -dry heating); four fermentation processing methods (fermentation with culture organisms, cooking and fermentation, daddawa, cooking and fermentation + potash) and four alkaline processes methods (soaking in water, sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) and sodium hydroxide -NaOH) A quantitative evaluation of both nutritive values and performance of experimental birds were undertaken as basis for selection of best means from each processing method after the selected best from each of the processing methods were compared to select the overall best. Cooking, cook and ferment and 1% potassium carbonate respectively emerged as the representative best for thermal, fermentation and alkaline processing. The comparative evaluation of the representative best processing methods showed that cook and ferment from fermentation group was the overall best. This processing method showed the best potentials for essential nutrients preservation, better performance of broilers and greater economic returns on investment. This confirmed the superiority of fermentation process in increasing the viability of soya beans utilization in broiler feeds resulting from microbial organisms activities.

Key words: Broilers, farmers, qualitative selection, soybeans, processing.