Impact of pumpkin seed powder supplementation on growth performance of caged broiler chicks

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with pumpkin seed powder (Cucurbita maxima) at levels of 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% on the growth performance of caged broiler chicks over a four-week period. A total of 48 day-old chicks were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (T0: control, T1: 0.5%, T2: 0.75%, T3: 1%), each with four replicates of three chicks. Weekly body weight and weight gain were measured, and data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in a Randomized Block Design (RBD). Results showed no significant differences in body weight and weight gain among treatments in the first three weeks (p>0.05). However, by the fourth week, T3 (1% supplementation) exhibited significantly higher mean body weight (1309.49 g) and weight gain (630.37 g) compared to T0 (1202.58 g, 506.66 g), T1 (1116.25 g, 404.49 g), and T2 (1232.00 g, 587.83 g) (p