The present study was conducted to find out nutritive value of cowpea (Vina sinensis) and to develop certain treatments to improve the nutritive value of cowpea. For this purpose two experiments were conducted on broiler chicks "Hubbard". In the first experiment, different levels of raw cowpea were fed to the chicks for L weeks, while in the second experiment cowpea were given with different treatments i.e. soaking, autoclaving, oil and methionine supplementation were included in the poultry ration for 6 weeks. During both experiments effect on growth rate, feed consumption, feed efficiency, dressing percentage and weight of internal organs were studied.
Feeding different levels of raw cowpea in ration during first experiment showed a linear decrease in weight gain and feed utilization efficiency with increasing level of raw cowpea. The decrease in dressing percentage was highly significant (P/ 0.01) when raw cowpea level was 66 per cent. It was also observed that feeding of raw cowpea significantly (PL 0.01) increased the weight of pancreas of the chicks. The same was the case with gizzard weight. The poor chick performance (weight gain and feed utilization efficiency) on account of feeding higher levels of raw cowpea might be attributed due to the higher contents of enzyme inhibitor(s), low digest- ability and deficiency of sulfur containing amino acids.
To investigate these possible limiting factors, second experiment was conducted. For this purpose soaked (1:1 moisture treatment) and autoclaved (15 psi for 30 mm.) cowpea were incorporated at 51 % level in the ration, while the methionine was supplemented at the level of 0.14/-f per cent and oil at the level of 6.7 per cent. Autoclaving improved weight gain of the chicks during first 4 weeks period, however, methionine supplementation improved the weight gain after 4 weeks (total period is 6 weeks). The feed utilization efficiency was improved through autoclaving, methionine supplementation and oil supplementation in the descending order. Soaking did not improve the nutritive value of cowpea with respect to weight gain, feed efficiency and dressing percentage. The pancreas weight did not increase when autoclaved cowpea were fed as compared to ration I (corn soya ration). However, soaking increased the gizzard weight significantly (PC0.01)

CONCLUS ION
The results of experiments indicated a linear depression in growth rate and feed efficiency with increasing level of raw cowpea in the rations. The weights of internal organs i.e. gizzard and pancreas were increased with increasing level of raw cowpea.
Autoclaving of cowpea improved its nutritive value in terms of weight gain and feed efficiency. Methionine supplementation did improve the weight gain and feed conversion ratio to a significant level. However soaking had adverse effects with respect to pancreas and gizzard weight and no effect regarding weight gain, feed efficiency and dressing percentage.