Effect of Shrimp Head Meal on the Performance of Layer Chicken

Abstract: Addressing the high cost of formulation of poultry ration especially soybean meal used as protein source and the availability of cheap shrimp waste product in the coastal region of Bangladesh we conducted our experiment for substituting shrimp head meal for alternative source of protein instead of soybean meal to minimize the cost of poultry ration for optimizing the egg production performance of layer hen. The experiment was carried out at Dr. Purnendu Gain Field Laboratory, Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the conclusion of different levels of shrimp head meal in the ration of layer hen and to spread the poultry farming in the coastal region of Bangladesh. The design of the experiment was assigned based on RCBD. Three hundred (300) layer hen were randomly selected and divided into 5 treatment groups of 60 birds each. Each group was further subdivided into 3 replications of 20 birds each. The experimental diets were feed to Hisex White hens from 18 ^th week to 40^th week in five different levels of shrimp head meal in the diet replacing @ 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the soybean meal. The controlled treatment group was T₀ (100% SBM) and the other treatment groups (T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄) were replaced with shrimp head meal at the rate of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, respectively.  The data of egg production, feed intake and number of death bird were taken daily and the data of egg weight were collected weekly and the data of body weight was collected in every 15-day interval. Our results showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in daily feed intake, egg production percentage, body weight, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, feed cost per egg and mortality. It can be concluded that the shrimp head meal is a good alternative source of protein in layer ration and soybean meal can be replaced by shrimp head meal and 25% substitution of shrimp head meal is good for egg production performance and maintaining low-cost ration formulation.

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