Nutritional Evaluations and the Effects of Ensiled and Sun-Dried Cassava Peel Meals on the Performance of Finisher Broilers

Abstract

A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of dietary inclusion of ensiled cassava peel meal (ECPM) and sun-dried cassava peel meal (SCPM) on the performance of finisher broilers. Three treatment diets were formulated such that 50% of the maize in diet 1 (control) was replaced in diet 2 with ensiled cassava peel meal (ECPM) and in diet 3 with sun-dried cassava peel meal (SCPM). Each diet was fed to a group of 20 finisher broilers for four weeks. The birds fed on SCPM diet recorded significantly (p<0.05) depressed body weight. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the control birds and birds fed the ECPM diet in terms of body weight gain and growth rate. The feed conversion ratio of the groups followed similar trend. There was however significant difference (p<0.05) between the average feed intake of the control birds and those on sun dried cassava peel meal. Cost of feed was reduced by about 20% by replacing 50% of the maize in the control diet with either ECPM or SCPM in the finisher diets.