Productive Performance and Feed Cost Benefits of Broiler Chickens Fed with Unpeeled Yellow Cassava Root Meal

Abstract

The productive performance and feed cost benefits of broiler chickens fed unpeeled yellow cassava root meal (UYCRM) was investigated in this experiment. One hundred and twenty unsexed day old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design with 0% (control), 25%, 50% and 75% inclusion levels of UYCRM designated as T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Each treatment was made up of 30 birds, divided into three replicates with ten birds per replicate. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the 8 weeks of the experiment. All growth parameters studied were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. Birds fed control diet had higher final body weight (2798.81g), average daily weight gain (49.01g) and lower feed intake (38.02g) followed by those on 25% UYCRM diet.  Birds on T1 also had a superior feed conversion ratio of 0.78 which was followed closely by birds on T2 (0.80). The cut parts (breast, back cut, thigh and wings) as well gizzard, crop and intestine weights differed significantly (P<0.05) among the treatments. Cost of feed decreased significantly (P<0.05) with the increasing level of UYCRM. The study showed that the UYCRM has considerable potential as components of broiler chickens diets in developing countries. It was therefore concluded that unpeeled yellow cassava root meal could be included at 25% (T2) in broiler chicken diet without any adverse effect on the performance or at 50% (T3) when the gross margin (gain) was considered.