Replacement value of blue-green alga (Spirulina platensis) for fishmeal and a vitamin-mineral premix for broiler chicks.

1. The effect of sun-dried Spirulina platensis in poultry diets was studied in a 12-week feeding trial by replacing either fishmeal (FM) or groundnut cake (GC) in a commercial diet with algae at isonitrogenous concentrations of 140 g/kg and 170 g/kg respectively. Additional vitamins/minerals were omitted from the algal diets because Spirulina is rich in them. 2. Efficiency of food utilisation, protein efficiency ratio and dressing percentage indicated that substitution of FM or GC by alga did not affect the performance of broilers. 3. None of the diets affected the weights, compositions and histopathology of the various organs of the chicks. 4. Meat quality remained unchanged except for a more intense colour in the case of birds fed on the alga-containing diets.