Effect of watermelon seed cake in broiler chicken performance

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of raw watermelon seedcake or treated on the performance, the apparent protein retention and apparent digestibility of dry matter and fat. One-hundred and fiftyone day old, unsexed broiler chicks were divided into five experimental diets (A, B, C, D and E). Chicks of group A fed on control group, chicks on groups B and C were fed on diets supplemented with 15 and 20% watermelon seed cake (WMSC), respectively; while diets D and E were supplemented with 15 and 20% toasted watermelon seed cake (TWMSC), respectively. Results obtained revealed that, inclusion of WMSC at 20% improved the performance and carcass attributes compared to control group. Chicks fed on toasted watermelon seed cake recorded better performance than those fed untoasted.