A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF LEAF MEALS OF PAWPAW (C. Papaya), SWORDBEAN (C. gladiata), JACKBEAN (C. ensiformis) AND PIGEONPEA (C. cajan) AS FEED INGREDIENTS AND YOLK COLOURING AGENTS IN LAYERS' DIETS

Leaf meals of the above-named tropical plants at 0.2,3,4 and 5% dietary levels were investigated for their values as feed ingredients egg yolk pigmenters in white maize based layer diets. Each diet was fed 5 replicates 15 hyaline layers 14 weeks. Pawpaw leaf meal (RM) 4% significantly (P<0.05) depressed intake without affecting production body weights. It, however, had no colouring yolk. Sword Bean (SBIM), jackbean (JBM) pigeon pea (PPLM) compared favourably with control group terms intake, weights, SBLM exceptionally improved colour, scoring 4, 5, 8 12 on Roche colour fan 2,3,4 respectively. JBLM PPLM only gave a score 4 level. appears to be very high biological available xanthophylls should considered development commercial pigmenter.