Growth Performance of Vanaraja Birds Fed Fresh Azolla Incorporated Diets under Intensive Productive System

Abstract

The growth performance of vanaraja birds fed with fresh azolla supplemented diets was assessed at farmer’s field reared under deep litter system. A total of 200 numbers of one month old vanaraja birds was randomly divided into four groups.   Group 1 (G1) was fed with wet azolla @ 5 % of the ration (grains), Group 2 (G2) was fed with wet azolla @10%, Group 3 (G3) was fed with wet azolla @ 15% and the Group 4(G4) served as control and fed only locally available low cost feed materials such as sorghum grains, rice bran, ground nut oil cake and broken rice. The weight gain of birds was recorded at fortnightly intervals up to 14 weeks of age. The body weight of birds (1112.6 g) fed azolla @15 % of ration was more (P≤0.05) compared to all other groups. The study suggests that supplementation of azolla@15 %along with locally available feed ingredients improved the growth performance of vanaraja birds reared under intensive system.