The experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural University poultry farm, Mymensingh with 180 Arbor Acres broiler chicks. The age of birds was 7 days when the experiment was started and the experiment was terminated at the age of 49 days. Collection, drying and storage of khesari (Lathyrus sativus): Khesari was purchased from dailpati market of Mymensingh town. It was sun dried and stored in polythene bags, which in turn was covered by gunny bags until grinding and used for diet formulation. Methods of chemical analysis: Chemical analysis of feed ingredients including khesari was performed to determine crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ether extracts (EE), ash and nitrogen-free-extracts (NFE) following the method of AOAC (1990). These analyses were accomplished in the poultry Science Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science.
Experimental birds: The commercial broiler chicks were collected from Poultry Development Project of the department of Poultry Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University , Mymensingh. Lay-out of the experiment: The chicks were equally divided and randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups having three replications in each treatment. The number of birds in each replication was 15.
Dietary treatments and feeding procedure: Dietary treatments were 4 (T1 = Control diet; T2 = 50g khesari/Kg; 13 = 100g khesari/Kg; T4 = 150g khesari/Kg) in which each treatment has three replications. The replications of each treatment group were fed a mash diet up to 49 days of age. The birds were given a broiler starter diet up to 35 days of age followed by a finisher diet up to 49 days of age.
Housing Management: The experiment was conducted in a gable type tin-shed roofed house. The following manage mental procedures were followed during the whole experimental period and identical management practices were followed as for as possible. The house was partitioned into 12 pens by were- net (90 cm height) where a group of 15 broilers were randomly allocated to each pen. Each pen was 203 cm x 102 cm and was allocated for 15 birds. Therefore, floor space for each bird was 1380 cm2 for comfort ability of birds.
Feeding Management: One trough (90 cm x 11.5 cm x 6cm) feeder and one pot drinker with a capacity of 3 liter were provided in each pen up to 4 weeks. After 4 weeks to 7 weeks same feeder and 4 liter capacity pot drinker were provided in each pen. Feeder was cleaned every week and waterers were cleaned with detergent every morning. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum to the birds throughout the experimental period. Litter: Fresh and dried rice husk was used as litter at a depth of about 5 cm. Lighting: The birds were exposed to a continuous lighting of 23 hours and 30 minutes and a dark period of 30 minutes in each 24 hours. Electric bulbs were used for lighting. After 21 days of old, only a 100 watt bulb was provided centrally at a height of 240 cm. Sanitation: Strict sanitary measures were taken during the experimental period.
Vaccination and Medication: A vaccination schedule was followed during the experimental period. All vaccines were applied by following manufactures instructions. Nopstress and saline were added to drinking water at the recommended dose to prevent heat stress. Methods of processing of broilers: At the end of the experiment, 24 broilers one male and one female broilers from each replicate group weighing average of pen weight were selected to determine meat yield characteristics. To facilitate processing, all birds had their feed and water removed 12 hours prior to killing. The broiler processing data were calculated and recorded as follows: i. Blood weight: Blood weight was calculated by deducting the complete slaughtered weight from the live weight of broilers after complete bleeding. ii. Feather weight: Feather weight was calculated by deducting the complete de feathering broiler weight from the slaughtered weight of broilers. iii. The weight of head, neck, shank, viscera, heart, liver, gizzard, abdominal fat, skin, thigh meat, thigh bone, drumstick meat, drumstick bone and breast meat were determined individually by using the sensitive weighing balance. iv. Shank length and neck length were determined individually by using centimeter scale. v. Dressing yield: Dressing yield was calculated by subtracting the weight of blood, feathers, viscera and shank from the live weight. vi. Giblet weight of broiler: Giblet weight was the total weight of liver, heart and gizzard. vii. Dressed weight of broiler: Dressed weights of broilers were calculated by deducting the weights of head, neck and giblet.
Data collection and record keeping: The following records were kept throughout the experimental period. Bodyweight of broilers: The weight of broilers were taken group-wise i.e. group of 15 birds at the beginning of the experiment and thereafter, at weekly intervals until the termination of the experiment. The birds were weekly weighed only in the morning prior to feeding. The seven days average live weight and that of weight gain of broiler birds in different pens were calculated. Feed consumption: The amount of feed consumed by the experimental birds of each replication was calculated out by deducting the amount retained from the amount supplied. Feed conversion: The feed conversion was calculated and recorded replication-wise by dividing the total feed consumed by average body weight gain. Survivability: The mortality of broilers was recorded replication wise and their survivability was calculated.