Volume 12, Issue 25, January - June 2026

Starter Phase Growth Performance and Economic Benefits of Urea- Treated Fermented Orange Peel Meal in Broiler Chicken Diets at Varying Fermentation Periods

Akanbi Olawale Mojeed^1♦, Olugbemi Taiye Sunday¹, Afolayan Moji², Ndams Samuel Shehu³, Atta Habiba Iliyasu⁴

¹Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
²Samaru College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
³College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
⁴Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Akanbi Olawale Mojeed, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria 2Samaru College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate starter phase growth performance and economic benefit of broiler chickens fed diets containing 20% fermented urea-treated orange peel meal (FUTOPM) fermented for 3, 6 and 9 days using Aspergillus niger. Orange peels were treated with urea, fungal cultures were added, and anaerobic fermentation was carried out. A total of 240-day-old broiler chicks were used in the study. The completely randomized design was used. Parameters of growth performance like body weight, weight gain, and cost aspects were measured. Statistical analysis was done using the General Linear Model procedure of SAS. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was used at a significance level of 5% to compare the means of the treatments. The result showed that the highest final body weight (953.33g) and total weight gain (911.91g) were recorded in the group fed the 9-day FUTOPM. This was followed by the group fermented for 6 days. The cost of feeding per kilogram of the group fermented for 9 days was the lowest (₦665.90). However, the cost-benefit ratio was highest in the group fermented for 6 days (1.32). therefore, it was concluded that the longer the fermentation duration of urea-treated fermented orange peels, the better the early growth performance and the lower the production costs. Consequently, it was recommended that fermented urea-treated orange peels fermented for a period of 9 days be included in the diets of growing chickens.

Keywords: Fermentation, Starter, Performance, Economics, Urea

Discovery Agriculture, 2026, 12, e2da3177

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Published: 03 February 2026