Evaluation of the Nutritional Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder on the Growth of Traditional Chickens in Northern Côte d'Ivoire

The search for better zootechnical performance is a major stake in the strategy for the development of animal resources in Cote d'Ivoire. The present study aims at improving the nutritional status of traditionally reared poultry using feedstuffs containing Moringa oleifera leaf powder, a plant with appreciable levels of micronutrients. The study was carried out on traditional chicks reared in a total confinement farm from March to June 2019 in the municipality of Korhogo in northern Cote d'Ivoire. Ninety 14-day-old traditional chicks were equitably divided into 3 lots and then fed for 12 weeks on diets based on single maize bran (lot 0 or control) or supplemented with M. oleifera leaf powder at 5% (lot 1) and 10% (lot 2) incorporation rates. The study showed that the incorporation of M. oleifera powder in the ration significantly (p<0.05) improved the live weight of the chickens, with means of 699.81 ± 31.28 g and 633.43 ± 135.44 g for the individuals in lots 1 and 2, respectively, compared to 557.40 ± 100.24 g for the control lot. M. oleifera also improved the average daily gains (ADG) of chickens in lot 1 (7.23 g/d) and lot 2 (6.34 g/d) compared to the control lot (5.80 g/d). This supplementation was beneficial on the feed conversion of the chickens, estimated at 9.55 and 10.82 for 5% and 10% of M. oleifera compared to 11.14 for the feed without the supplement. The incorporation of Moringa oleifera leaf powder in growth-type feeds, especially at the 5 % level, could therefore be recommended in local traditional chicken farming.