Published Article

ABSTRACT
The study sought to determine the Nutritional Potential of Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal for
Broiler and Layer Diets. Two research objectives were posed and addressed in the study. The
area of the study was the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Department of
Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resource Management,
University of Calabar, Calaber, Cross River State – Nigeria. Fresh Moringa oleifera leaves
were harvested from Moringa trees and collected at Ugbo Village in Awgu Local
Government Area, Enugu State and transported to Calabar. The test material (Moringa
oleifera) leaves were dried under shade at room temperature of 32°C by spreading them on
concrete slabs and allowed drying for two (2) weeks after which they were milled with a
grinder to produce the meal of 0.35mm sieve size. The processed test material (the mealed
sample of Moringa oleifera leaf) was bottled in an air tight container for chemical analysis to
ascertain it’s metal composition. The methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists
(AOAC), 2010 were used in determining the effect of graded level of MOLM on growth
performance of broiler chickens. The study concluded that Moringa oleifera has the potential
of reducing the feeding cost of broilers. The study also recommended that accurate
information and or relevance instructional materials should be provided to poultry famers to
enhance Moringa oleifera leaf meal feeding on birds.
KEYWORDS: Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM), Metal composition, Broiler
chicken, Growth performance, and Nutrition