Evaluation of the benefits of sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas) as broiler chickens feed stuff

Abstract

Mandey JS, Pontoh CJ, Leke JR, Rahasia CA. 2015. Evaluation of the benefits of sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas) as broiler chickens feedstuff. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1: 767-770. Information about the potency of sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas) as a feedstuff of broiler chickens was still limited. The research was conducted to investigate the response of broiler chickens fed the sweet potato leaves meal to substitute the coconut cake through the measurement of the feed conversion, the carcass percentage, and the abdominal fat percentage. A total of 96 broiler chickens CP 707 were used. Four treatments were designed using a completely randomized design and were allocated each with four replications with the treatment arrangement was consisted of: R0 (12% coconut cake (CC) + 0% sweet potato leaves (SPL); R1 (8% CC + 4% SPL); R2 (4% CC + 8% SPL); R3 (0% CC + 12% SPL). The data collection was done for 4 weeks at the finisher period. Feed and water were provided at ad libitum. The results showed that there were no significant (P˃0.05) differences between the treatments of sweet potato leaves and the coconut cake in the feed conversion, the carcass percentage, and the abdominal fat percentage. It was concluded that the sweet potato leaves can substitute the coconut cake in the feed up to 12%.