Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

This chapter firstly represent the background of study wherein the

research problem is discussed followed by the objectives as an aim of this

study, the state of hypothesis, the scope and delimitation, the importance

and definition of terms used in this study.

Background of the Study

The present shortage of monogastric animal feed is due to ever

increasing cost of the feed ingredients in which more people nowadays are

lacking in sustaining the essential needs for a particular poultry

production. It occurs eventually that a poultry farmer have closed down

and sometimes decided to reduce their production capacity due to shortage

of feed. It was also a matter of urgent concern with regard to animal protein

deficit because of saving people from imminent protein malnutrition.

Indeed, there are only two major problems that we have to cope up in

raising a poultry production. These are the increasing cost of feed

ingredients and the insufficient supply of nutrients in poultry animals.

These problems among highly feed cost and animal protein deficit can

resolve by using an alternative feed supplement of having the potentials to

supply an adequate source of essential nutrients with a lower feed cost for

poultry production. As stated on the study of Agbabiaka et al. (2012), in

order to overcome this kind of problem's encountered, attention of farmers

or poultry raisers must be focused on the utilization of lesser known

unconventional feedstuffs that are readily available without stiff

competition to humans. Many studies have been conducted using various

leaf meals in the diets of poultry animals considering the fact that instead

of throw out the leaves with a high nutritional composition, people can

utilize them as feeds in poultry as well as for other domestic animals.

However, one of the possible feed supplements used in poultry production

is the Cyperus esculentus commonly known as Tigernut.

Tigernut also called yellow nutsedge, chufa sedge, nut grass, tiger nut

sedge, or earth almond is an underutilized tuber of family Cyperaceae. It is

considered as a weed or as a crop which found widespread among many

countries (Sanchez - Zapata et al., 2012). Despite of being one of the

world's most problematic weeds, many authors have been reported the

nutritional value of tigernut. It has been said that tigernut is a good

potentials of protein source for poultry and livestock production. In recent

times up until now, there is a major discussion regarding protein source

becomes a limiting factors in poultry feed production. It is imperative that

monogastric animals should have their diets supplemented with proteins so

that fast growth rate and increased in feed efficiency are properly met.

Various researchers also explained the usefulness of tigernut not only used

as supplement in animal feed manufactured but also used for human foods

and medicinal drink in reducing the risk of many severe diseases.

 In view of this, a present study is therefore designed to evaluate the

dietary effect of different inclusion levels of tigernut (Cyperus esculentus)

leaf meal on growth performance of broiler chicken as an alternative source

of protein.

General Objectives

This research seeks to evaluate the growth performance of broiler

chickens supplemented with Cyperus esculentus leaf meal as readily

available source of protein.

Specific Objectives

1. To evaluate the growth performance of a broiler chicken

supplemented with Cyperus esculentus leaf meal in terms of weekly weight

gain and total weight gain.

2. To differentiate the feeding graded levels of Cyperus esculentus leaf

meal based on the growth performance of a broiler chicken.

3. To determine the profitability of raising broiler chicken fed with

different inclusion rates of tigernut leaf meal as feed supplement through

computing the Return on Investment (ROI).

Hypothesis

This study on the growth performance of broiler chicken supplemented

with Cyperus esculentus hypothesized that:

 Ho: The Cyperus esculentus leaf meal has no significant effect as

dietary supplement on the growth performance of a broiler chicken.

Scope and Delimitation

This study was delimited to evaluate the growth performance and the

profitability of raising broiler chicken fed with different amount of tigernut

leaf meal as dietary supplement. Growth performance such as weekly

weight gain were monitored on weekly basis while in terms of total weight

gain was determined through computing the difference of initial live weight

and final live weight. The profitability of raising broiler chicken fed with

varying amount of tigernut leaf meal was also determined through

computing the return on investment. A total of ninety-six (96) day-old

Hubbard broiler chicks was used in the experiment and randomly assigned

into four dietary treatments with three replication tests which contain 24

birds per dietary treatment and 8 birds per replication using a Completely

Randomized Design. The Cyperus esculentus leaf meal was utilized as

source of protein with different inclusion levels of 0℅, 5℅, 10℅, and 15℅

represented by T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The diet containing no

tigernut leaf meal was used as control. The experiment was conducted in

Catanduanes State University located at College of Agriculture and

Fisheries Experimental Area wherein the researcher uses tigernut leaf meal

as primary ingredient in preparing the supplementary feed to experimental

units which lasted for 42 days feeding trial. Nevertheless, this study
excluded the carcass quality of a broiler chicken because of unavailable

measuring materials to be used.

Importance of the Study

The study of Cyperus esculentus leaf meal as feed ingredients is most

especially important to achieve greater growth performance and resolve the

animal protein deficit in the broiler chicken production. The result of this

study would also give benefit to the following people:

This would give valuable information to broiler raiser using an available

cheaper feed ingredient which is the tigernut leaf meal that will benefit

them in terms of profitability with less production cost.

And because the tigernut is being known as constituting weed in farms

that can be used as feed supplement, the farmer would persuadable to

plant it and produce more to the broiler raiser in which they can have a

greater income without too much expenses.

Additionally, the study would give important to the Dean and School

Administrator for having a new recommendation of alternative feed

supplement towards the farmer or broiler raiser that would be a great help

for the improvement of their farming system.

As well as for the student or other researcher, this would give an idea,

prior knowledge, and served as a future reference on their study in feed

formulation using locally available feed ingredients.

Furthermore, this study would have an advantage to all persons who

wants to engage in poultry farming because they can start raising broiler
chicken at a lesser cost without too much reliance on expensive commercial

feeds.

Definition of Terms

Commercial Feeds - the formulated ration that are used to combine

in the preparation of treatments given to broiler chicken.

Cyperus esculentus leaf meal - considered as a weed or as a crop

which found widespread among many countries which is used as main

ingredients in the feed consumption of an animals.

Dietary supplement - a substance or product added to the

commercial feeds to supplement the diets of broiler chicken.

Final Live Weight - the weight of the broiler chicken after fed with

tigernut leaf meal.

Growth Performance - the data gathered in the study in terms of

weekly weight gain and total weight gain.

Hubbard broiler chicken - classified as meat type poultry chicken in

the Philippines and commonly raised for human resource purposes;

otherwise called the experimental unit in which it is subjected to the

different treatments of tigernut leaf meal within 45 days feeding trial and

was the source of raw data for further analysis.

Initial Weight - the weight of the broiler chicken before fed with

tigernut leaf meal.

Profitability - yielding advantageous results; evaluated through

computing ROI of every treatment.

 Return on Investment (ROI) – computed through getting the

difference between total sales and total expenses; ROI on different

treatments was computed.

Total Expenses – monetary amount paid before and during the

production of broiler meat and non-meat products using tigernut leaf meal

as feed supplement; total expenses on every treatment was computed.

Total Sales – monetary amount earned after selling broiler meat and

non-meat products (incudes head, heart and liver, shank and chicken

dung) produced after using tigernut leaf meal as feed supplement; total

sales on every treatment was computed.

Total Weight Gain – the overall gain in weight of broiler chicken

through determining the difference between the initial live weight and final

live weight.

Weekly Weight Gain – gain in weight of broiler chicken in a week as

fed with tigernut leaf meal.