ABSTRACT
Eighty day-old broiler chicks were used for feeding trial carried out to determine
the effect of graded levels of Rice Milling Waste (RMW) and Bioactive Yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisae) which has been shown to secrete enzymes that help to
digest crude fiber and organic matter. This suggest that supplementing broiler
ration with bioactive yeast may improve the digestibility and efficiency of
utilization of RMW. The 80 broiler chicks used in this study were randomly
distributed in five groups of sixteen birds each. Each group was subdivided into
four replicates of 8 birds each. Group 1 was placed on experimental diet made of
1.5 g/kg yeast basal feed and no RMW, Group 2 was fed on a diet of 1.5 g/kg
bioactive yeast, basal feed and 10% RMW, Group 3 and 4 were fed feed containing
1.5 g/kg bioactive yeast, 15 and 20 % RMW respectively while group 5, the control
had no RMW and bioactive yeast. Feed and water were given to the birds ad
libitum.

Daily feed intake and weekly weight gain were determined. Data were
collected on nutrient intake, growth performance, feed intake, growth rate, weight
gain, feed conversion ratio, apparent nutrient retention, cost benefit analysis and
carcass weight. Bioactive yeast supplementation resulted in a significant (P<0.05)
reduction in feed intake and cost. The results showed that up to 20% RMW with
bioactive yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae) supplementation are adequate for
oprimum growth of broiler birds. However, more research work should be done to
determine the usage of bioactive yeast in commercial broiler feed production.