ABSTRACT:

160 unsexed Nera day old chicks were weighed and randomly divided into 8 experimental groups such that there were 2 replicates of 10 birds each per diet. Eight diets were formulated for the starter and finisher phases. The first four diets had groundnut cake as the protein source and were gradually replaced by sunflower meal (SFM) at the level of 0%, 25%, 50% and 75%. Diets 5-8 contained soyabean meal replaced progressively by SFM at 0%, 25%, 50% and 75%. The feed and water were given ad libitum and the experiment lasted eight weeks. Feed intake increased significantly (P<0.05) and linearly in the groundnut cake supplemented diets with increasing content of SFM at the starter phase. Feed intake ranged from 420g /week at 0% level of SFM supplementation to 520g /week at 75% level of SFM supplementation. However, body weight gains and feed efficiency were unaffected by the dietary treatments at both the starter and finisher phases. The same trend was paralleled in the soybean supplemented diets. The plasma metabolites were generally stable in the dietary treatments at both phases of production and values were within normal bench marks for poultry. There was a reduction (P<0.05)in plasma albumin in the birds on the starter phase ·of the groundnut cake supplemented diets and increasing the level of supplementation progressively depressed albumin  content. In summary SFM can replace groundnut cake and soybean meal up to 75% level without negative effects on performance and production.