Formulation Trial of a Broiler Chicken Feed Based on Locally Available Raw Materials in Senegal: Evaluation of Zootechnical Performance and Profitability Compared with a Commercial Feed

The increasing cost of commercial poultry feeds strongly limits the profitability of broiler chicken production in Senegal. Thus, in order to significantly reduce their production costs, poultry farmers must formulate their own feed using locally available raw materials. This study evaluates rations formulated from local raw materials as an alternative to commercial broiler feed. Subsequently, to confirm feed efficiency, the produced rations were tested on an experimental flock composed of 50 broiler chickens divided into two groups of 25 birds each. At the end of the experiment, chickens from the control group (fed commercial rations) achieved an average live weight of 1809.2 g, while those from the experimental group reached 1636.1 g. However, the economic analysis showed a much lower production cost for birds in the experimental group, resulting in a net gain of 283 FCFA per chicken compared to birds from the control group.