AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA

ISSN Print: 2151-7517, ISSN Online: 2151-7525, doi:10.5251/abjna.2011.2.4.616.621 2011, ScienceHu, http://www.scihub.org/ABJNA

Egg production and egg quality laying hens fed raw or processed sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seed meal
I. D. Kwari, S. S. Diarra, A. O. Raji and S. B. Adamu
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Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B 1069 Maiduguri, Nigeria
ABSTRACT A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of caged laying hens fed raw, soaked, boiled, sprouted and fermented sorrel seed meal in a semi-arid environment. Six isonitrogenous diets (17% crude protein) were formulated. Diet 1 was based on soyabean meal which was replaced at 50% by processed sorrel seed meal in the other diets. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) Black Harco pullets aged 22 weeks were randomly assigned to the diets with 30 birds per diet each containing 3 replicates of 10 birds. Data were collected on feed consumption, egg production and shell quality. Results showed no dietary effects on feed utilization, egg production, egg weight and shell quality. The cost of feed was reduced with the inclusion of sorrel seed meal in the diet resulting to a lower cost of egg production on these diets compared to the control. No mortality was recorded during the period of the experiment. It was concluded that up to 50% of dietary soyabean meal can be replaced with sorrel seed meal raw or processed without adverse effects on the performance of laying hens. The replacement will reduce the cost of the feed and thus the cost of egg production. Keywords: soyabean meal, sorrel seeds, processing, egg production.

INTRODUCTION Poultry meat and egg production in Nigeria is still faced with the high cost of feeding. According to Aduku (1992), the cost of feeding represents 80 90% of the total cost of producing poultry meat and eggs. The cost of feeding is attributed to the high cost and scarcity of conventional feed ingredients like maize, groundnut cake, soyabean meal and fish meal. Soyabean which is a major protein source in poultry diets has several food and industrial uses. There is therefore the need to explore cheaper and safe sources of protein. Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a plant well grown in the semi-arid zone of Nigeria mostly as a border crop. The leaves are used as soup and the calyx for preparing a local drink (sobo). Although there are several reports on the chemical composition of the seed, its use in livestock and poultry feeding is still poorly documented. Sorrel seed contains between 21.40-35.19% crude proteins (FAO, 1982; Dashak and Nwogboro, 2002; Isidahomen et al., 2006). The seed is however, high in fibre (Duke, 1983) and contains some tannins (Purseglove, 1969; Duke, 1983) which may limit its use in poultry feeding (Jansman, 1993). However, tannins are reported to be inactivated by soaking in water (Price et al., 1979) and heating (Price et al., 1980; Bressani et al., 1982).

This paper reports the effects of feeding raw or differently processed sorrel seed meals as a replacement for soyabean meal on the performance of caged laying hens. MATERIALS AND METHODS Source and Processing of Sorrel Seed: Sorrel seed was purchased from the market in Maiduguri metropolis, cleaned and processed as follows: i) ii) Raw sorrel seed meal (RSSM): the cleaned seed was fetched, milled and labeled RSSM; Soaked sorrel seed meal (SSSM): the cleaned seed was soaked in tap water for 24 hours, sundried for 72 hours then milled and labeled SSSM;

iii) Boiled sorrel seed meal (BSSM): the seed was oc boiled in tap water at 100 for 30 minutes, sundried for 72 hours, milled and labeled BSSM; iv) Sprouted sorrel seed meal (SPSSM): sorrel seed was soaked for 24 hours and allowed to sprout for 2 days. The sprouted seed was sun-dried for 72 hours, milled and labeled SPSSM ; v) Fermented sorrel seed meal (FSSM): the seed was boiled at 100oc for 30 minutes and washed and kept in an air-tight container to ferment for 3 days. The fermented seed was sun-dried for 72 hours, milled and labeled FSSM.

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Experimental diets: Six experimental layer mashes (17% crude protein) were formulated (Table 1). Diet 1 (control) was based on soyabean meal as the major source of protein. In diets 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 fifty percent (50%) of the soyabean was replaced by RSSM, SSSM, BSSM, SPSSM and FSSM respectively. Experimental stock and procedure: A total of one hundred and eighty (180) Black Harco pullets aged 22 weeks were used for the study. The birds were individually weighed and randomly assigned to 6 experimental groups of 30 birds per group. Each group contained 3 replicates of 10 birds in a completely randomized design (CRD). The birds were housed in pairs in cages measuring 33cm x 38.5cm x 45cm (width x length x depth). Each group received one of the experimental diets in table 1 and clean drinking water ad libitum for a period of 12 th th weeks (from 7 February to 6 May, 2008). Data collection: Birds were weighed at the start of the experiment and at the end of the 12 weeks experimental period. The live weight change was calculated by subtracting the initial weight from the weight at the end of the experiment. A weighed quantity of feed was fed every morning and the quantity left over the next morning weighed to account for daily feed intake. The number of eggs laid by each replicate was recorded daily and the hen-day egg production (HDP) calculated as: Total eggs produced x 100 Number of birds alive Eggs produced by each replicate were weighed and the mean egg weight (g) recorded. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated for each replicate as the ratio of the feed consumed to the total egg weight. HDP (%) = FCR = Feed consumed (g) Weight of eggs laid (g) Shell weight was determined according to the procedures described by Kul and Seker (2004) and the percent shell calculated by dividing the shell weight by the weight of the egg and multiplying by 100 (Chowdhury and Smith, 2001). Shell thickness was measured using a paper thickness micrometer sensitive to 0.01mm. Percent shell (%)=

composition according to the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1990). Samples were analyzed for amino acid composition according to Spackman et al. (1958). The tannin content of the samples was determined spectrophotometrically using the 4-amino antipyrene procedure (American Public Health Association, 1985). The metabolizable energy (ME) content of the samples was calculated according to Pauzenga (1985) as: ME (kcal/kg) = 37 x % CP + 81 x %EE +35.5 x % NFE. Egg data were subjected to analysis of variance (Steel and Torrie 1980) using Statistix (2003). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results of chemical analysis are presented in tables 1 and 2. There was no indication of processing effect on the crude protein of sorrel seed, but the crude fibre level was increased in the processed seeds compared to the raw. The levels of phosphorus and essential amino acids were lower in the sprouted seed than the raw and seeds from other processing methods. The higher reduction (34.04%) of tannin was observed in the boiled seed. The percentage tannin reduction was similar in the other processing methods (about 21%). The crude fibre content of the experimental diets was increased on the sorrel seed meal-based diets than the control diet based on soyabean meal. The protein content of the test material (sorrel seed) compares well with the value (37%) reported for soyabean (NRC 1994, Smith 2001). With the exception of lysine sorrel seed had higher values of all the essential amino acids than those reported in soyabean by NRC (1994). The reason for the higher fibre in the processed seeds compared to the raw was not clear, but probably due to the loss of some soluble nutrients in the processing water as all the methods involved moistening. Reddy et al (1982) observed an increased demand for nutrients, particularly phosphorus by germinating seeds. This could be a possible explanation for the reduced phosphorus and essential amino acids in the sprouted seed in the present experiment. The maximum reduction of tannin in the boiled seed and the similarity in tannin levels amongst the other processing methods is an indication of the presence of both water-soluble (hydrolysable) and heat labile tannins in sorrel seed. The higher crude fibre in sorrel seed compared to soyabean was reflected in the experimental diets characterized by higher crude

Weight of shell (g) x 100 Weight of egg (g) Data analyses: The raw and processed sorrel seeds were analyzed for chemical composition (crude protein, fibre, amino acids and tannins). The experimental diets were also analyzed for proximate

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fibre in the sorrel seed meal-based diets than the control diet based on soyabean meal Table 1: Chemical composition of differently processed sorrel and soyabean meal
Constituents RSSS Crude protein (%) Crude fibre (%) **ME (kcal/kg) Calcium (%) Phosphorus (%) Arginine (%) Histidine (%) Isoleucine (%) Leucine (%) Lysine (%) Methionine (%) Phenylalanine (%) Threonine (%) Tryptophan (%) Valine (%) Tannic acid (mg/g) Tannin reduction (%) 38.57 13.50 3500.10 0.33 0.55 5.18 1.99 3.30 4.99 2.58 1.33 4.17 2.83 0.73 3.19 3.29 Processing method of sorrel seed* SSSM 38.20 15.30 3508.93 0.32 0.52 5.50 1.73 2.90 5.97 2.54 1.19 3.73 3.10 0.66 2.79 2.59 21.28 BSSM 37.80 15.14 3508.93 0.32 0.52 5.42 1.64 2.84 5.60 2.73 1.18 3.97 3.06 0.63 2.66 2.17 34.04 SPSS 37.40 15.80 3486.50 0.31 0.49 4.80 1.55 2.34 4.86 2.06 1.04 3.22 2.76 0.49 2.44 2.57 21.88 FSSM 38.59 15.25 3563.04 0.31 0.51 5.70 1.70 2.99 5.57 2.64 1.20 3.88 3.13 0.67 2.88 2.59 21.28
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Soyabean meal 37.00 5.50 3300.00 0.25 0.58 2.80 0.89 2.00 2.80 2.40 0.51 1.80 1.50 0.55 1.80 NR -

RSSM = Raw Sorrel Seed Meal SSSM = Soaked sorrel seed meal SPSSM = Sprouted sorrel seed meal FSSM = Fermented sorrel seed meal BSSM = Boiled sorrel seed meal *Analyzed ** Metabolizable Energy: calculated according to the formula of Pauzenga, (1985): ME = 37 x % CP + 81 X % EE + 35.50 x % NFE 1 Source: NRC (1984) NR = Not reported

Egg production data (Table 3) showed no significant (P>0.05) dietary effects on feed intake, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio and egg shell qualities (shell thickness and percent shell). The cost of the kg feed was reduced with the inclusion of sorrel seed meal in the diet. Similarly, the feed cost of egg production (N /egg) was markedly (P<0.05) reduced on the sorrel seed meal-based diets compared to the control. No mortality was recorded throughout the period of the experiment. The similarities in the performance of the hens amongst treatments are indications of the nutritional adequacy of the sorrel seed meal-based diets. This

quality of sorrel seed despite the high fibre content may be due to its exceptional profile in essential amino acids. The price difference between sorrel seed and soyabean at the time of the experiment translated into a reduced cost of the kg feed and feed cost of egg production on the sorrel seed meal-based diets compared to the soyabean meal- based control diet. From these results it was concluded that up to 50% of dietary soyabean meal can be safely replaced with sorrel seed meal in laying hens without adverse effects on their performance. An added benefit of the replacement was the reduced cost of egg production.

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At this replacement level, processing may not be necessary, but when higher levels are to be

considered it is advisable to boil the seed as this method effectively reduces the tannin content.

Table 2: Ingredients and analyzed chemical composition of layers mashes containing processed sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seed meal Diets Ingredients (%) Control RSSM SSSM BSSM SPSSM FSSM Maize 52.00 52.00 52.00 52.00 52.00 52.00 Soyabean 19.00 9.50 9.50 9.50 9.50 9.50 Sorrel seeds meal 9.50 9.50 9.50 9.50 9.50 Wheat offals 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 Fish meal 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 Bone meal 9.20 9.20 9.20 9.20 9.20 9.20 Premix* 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 Salt (NaCl) 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Total

Analyzed composition (%) Crude protein P) 17.21 Crude fibre (CF) 06.12 **ME (kcal/kg) 2,811.15

17.30 11.56 2,826.06

17.45 12.34 ,736.14

17.25 12.70 2,750.13

16.80 11.10 2,690.30

17.65 11.60 2,851.18

*Vitamin Mineral Premix (BIO-MIX) Supply the following per kg: Vitamin. A 4000I; Vit. D 3 , 8, 000IU; Vit. E, 9,000mg; Niacin, 12,000mg; Vit. B 1 , 1, 5000mg;Vit. B 3 , 4,000mg;Vit. B 6 , 12,000mg; Vit. B 12 , 6mg;Vit. K 3 ,800mg; Pantothenic acid, 3,000mg; Biotin, 24mg;Folic acid, 300; Choline Chloride, 120, 000mg;Cobalt, 80mg; Copper, 1,200mg; Iodine, 400mg; Iron, 8,000mg; Manganese,16, 000mg; Selenium, 80mg; Zinc, 12, 000mg; Anti-oxidant; 500mg. **Metabolizable Energy: calculated according to the formula of Pauzenga, (1985): ME = 37 x % CP + 81 X % EE + 35.50 x % NFE. RSSM = Raw Sorrel Seed Meal SSSM = Soaked sorrel seed meal SPSSM= Sprouted sorrel seed meal FSSM = Fermented sorrel seed meal BSSM = Boiled Sorrel Seed meal The kg of soyabean sold for N66.67 against N37.50 at the time of the experiment ($1= N 0.007)

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Table 3: Performance of caged laying hens fed differently processed sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seed meal Parameters Control Mean initial live weight (g/bird) Mean final live weight (g/bird) Weight change (g/bird) Mean daily feed intake (g/bird) Mean hen-day egg production (%) Mean egg weight (g) FCR (feed:egg) Cost of feed (N/kg) Feed cost (N/egg) Mortaliry Shell thickness (mm) Percent shell (%) SBSSM SPSSM FSSM = RSSM = SSSM = BSSM = * SEM NS NA REFERENCES Aduku, A. O. (1992). Practical Livestock Feed Production in the Tropics. Asekome, S and Co publishers, Samaru Zaria, Nigeria. pp 44-49 American Public Health Association (1985). Standards for examination of water and waste water. American th Public Health Association, 16 edition, Washington DC, USA Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1990). Official Methods of Analysis, 15th Edition, , Washington, DC 1018p Bressani, R., Elias, L.G., and Braham, J. E. (1982). Reduction of digestibility of legume protein of tannins. Journal of Plant Foods 4:43-55 Chowdhury, S.R., and Smith, T.K. (2001). Effects of dietary 1, 4- Diaminobutane (putresience) on egg shell quality 1550.20 1958.60 408.40 77.10 64.60 56.90 2.08 60.16 9.20a 00 0.29 8.20 RSSM 1536.40 1945.07 408.67 70.97 59.32 56,39 2.19 51.20 8.49b 00 0.28 8.61 Diets SSSM 1498.20 1927.30 429.10 71.43 60.61 55.76 2.16 52.81 7.98bc 00 0.27 8.56

BSSM 1514.50 1904.90 390.40 75.27 60.50 56.48 2.31 53.08 8.01bc 00 0.28 8.44

SPSSM 1521.42 1906.40 384.98 73.16 59.20 56.92 2.26 52.98 8.53b 00 0.26 8.42

FSSM 1529.80 1901.40 371.60 74.46 63.64 56.19 2.16 53.04 7.74c 00 0.27 8.50

SEM 7.37NS 26.44NS 8.38NS 3.17NS 2.60NS 0.47NS 0.17 NS NA 0.20* NA 0.01NS 0.21 NS

= Soaked and boiled sorrel seed meal = Sprouted sorrel seed meal Fermented sorrel seed meal Raw Sorrel Seed Meal Soaked sorrel seed meal Boiled Sorrel Seed meal = Significant (P< 0.05) = Standard Error of Means = Not significant (P> 0.05) = Not analyzed and laying performance of older hens'. Poultry Science 80: 1209 Dashak, D. A. and Nwanegbo, V. (2002). Chemical composition of the seeds and calyxes of (Hibiscus sabdariffa) grown in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Journal of Natural Sciences 5:32-34 Duke, J. A. (1983). Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Malvaceae Roselle. Handbook of energy crops. Roselle th zobo@ananzi.co. Assessed on the 11 October, 2003 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, 1982). Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Expert Consultation on Rural Poultry Production, Rome, Italy Isidahomen, C.E., Kwari, I.D. Adejumo, E.O., and Igwebuike, J.U. (2006). Proximate composition, tannin content and amino-acid profile of differently processed sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seeds. Journal of Research in Bioscience 2:37-40

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Jansman, A. J. M. (1993). Tannins in feedstuffs for simplestomached animals. Nutrition Research Review 6:209236 Kul, S. and Seker, I. (2004) Phenotypic correlations between some external quality tracts in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). International Journal of Poultry Science 3(6): 400-405. National Research Council (1994). Nutrient requirements th of Poultry 9 revised edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. USA Pauzenga, U. (1985). Feeding Parent Stock. Zootechny International. pp 22-25 Price, M.L. Butler, L.G. Rogler, J.C. and Featherstone, W.R. (1979). Overcoming the nutritionally harmful effects of tannins in sorghum grains by treatment with inexpensive chemicals. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 27:441-445 Price, M.L., Hagerman, A.E. and Butler, L.G. (1980). Tannin in sorghum grains: Effects of cooking on

chemical assays and on anti-nutritional properties in rats. Nutrition Report International 21:861-767 Purseglove, J.W. (1969). Tropical crops: dicotyledons 2. Longmans Group and Co. London,UK. pp 370-374 Reddy, N.R., Balakrishnan, C.V. and Salunkhe, D.K. (1982). Phytase in legumes. Advanced Food Research 28:1-92 Spackman, D.H., Stein, W.H. and Moore, S. (1958). Automatic recording apparatus for use in the chromatography of amino acids. Analytical Chemistry 30:1990-1991 Smith, A.J. (2001). Poultry: The Tropical Agriculturist. Revised edition, Published byMacmillan Education Ltd, London and Oxford, UK. 218Pp. Statistix (2003) Statistix for windows manual. Copyright 1985-2003, Analytical Software,Version 8.0 Steel, R.G.D. and Torrie, J.H. (1980). Principles and nd Procedures of Statistics, a Biometrical Approach, 2 edition McGraw Hills Book Co., New York, USA

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