Effect of Feeding Velvet Beans (Mucuna pruriens L.) on the Performance and Lipid Profile of Broiler Chickens

The effect of feeding velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) meal on the performance and lipid profile in broilers was investigated. Fourteen days old 200 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design and feeding was continued for four weeks. Maize and soybean meal based control feed, and four test diets produced from the control feed by incorporating velvet beans at 10, 15, 20 and 25% levels served as five dietary treatments. Feed intake was not affected by velvet beans. Twenty and 25% velvet beans reduced weight gain by 17 and 23% and increased the feed conversion ratio by 23 and 17%, respectively. The final body weight of birds at 42 days decreased when velvet bean meal was included above 15%. Increase of inclusion level above 10% reduced the dressing percentage of broilers. Serum total cholesterol level decreased by 9.5, 9.7, 15 and 16%, respectively in birds fed with 10, 15, 20 and 25% velvet bean diets. Birds fed with 25% velvet bean diet showed an increase in the level of high density lipoproteins by 8%. Low density lipoprotein level decreased by 43.1, 36.5, 25 and 23.4%, respectively in birds fed with 25, 20, 15 and 10% velvet beans. Velvet beans reduced the serum triglyceride levels as well. Results suggest that velvet bean has a strong cholesterol lowering effect on broilers and it can be included up to 15% in the diet of broilers without any negative effect.