Performance of the broiler on replacement of maize with different levels of whole and peeled cassava tuber meals

An experiment was conducted to study the performance of broilers on replacement of maize with different levels of whole and peeled cassava tuber meals. Day old broiler chicks (n = 125) of either sex were randomly divided into five groups having equal number of chicks in each group. The control group (T₁) was provided with conventional ration without any cassava tuber meal. The chicks of T₂ and Twere provided with ration by replacing maize with whole cassava tuber meal at 20 and 40%, respectively. Similarly, the T₄ and T₅ chicks were fed with ration replacing maize with peeled cassava meal at 20 and 40%, respectively. The body weight of birds at six weeks of age was 1571.16±27.72, 1470.17±28.93, 1426.15±26.87, 1538.59±29.47 and 1653.57±20.34g in T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅, respectively, with no significant differences in the weight gain between the groups. Significantly (P<0.01) higher metabolizability of protein and nitrogen balance was observed in T₄ and T₅ than other groups. Glucose, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase values in the serum samples did not revealed any significant difference between the groups. Significantly (P<0.05) higher percentage of breast meat was observed in control and T₃ than other groups. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney showed mild hyperplacia of bile duct, congestion and focal infiltration of inflammatory cells in liver of T₃. From this experiment it was concluded that cassava tuber meals could be incorporated in broiler ration by replacing maize upto 40 per cent.