Improving Poultry Production in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Poorly Recognized Source of Calcium

Background and Objective: Chicken eggshells are nutrient-rich but often considered a poultry wastes in some developing countries, including Nigeria, due to lack of studies investigating their importance in livestock production. This study evaluated the effects of eggshell as a replacement for dicalcium phosphate (DCP) on growth performance, blood serum minerals and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 one-day-old broiler chicks were used in this study. Birds were distributed in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments and 3 replicates with 10 birds per replicate. A basal diet was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the birds. Diet 1, 2 and 3 contained 100% DCP, 50% DCP+50% eggshell and 100% eggshell respectively. Results: Growth performance, serum minerals and organ weight of birds was not adversely affected by eggshell. Conclusion: Chicken eggshell is a potential source of Ca and can be used as replacement for DCP in poultry production in developing countries to reduce the cost of production and environmental pollution.