Reflects of graded levels of cassava peel-based diets on performance carcass quality and physio-pathology of broilers in the humid topics.

Abstract

Eight diets were produced to contain 0, 7.5, 15.0 and 22.5% processed cassava peel at 24 and 20% crude protein levels respectively. The diets were made isocaloric and isonitrogenous and fed to cobb broilers for ten weeks. Results obtain indicated that up to 15.0% cassava peel could be incorporated in broiler diets without adverse effects on the final weight, feed consumption efficiency, and dressed weight (P> 0.05). Slight increases (P> 0.05) were recorded in the giblet weights, calorific value of edible meat. The abdominal fat pad increased significantly (P < 0.05) with cassava inclusion. Mortality value increased slightly (P> 0.05) with higher levels of peel inclusion, probably due to higher morbidity encountered with increasing crude fibre and HCN contents of cassava peel based diets. Serum thiocynanate values were higher (P < 0.05) at 22.5% level of inclusion and at lower protein diets. Cyanide intake was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with daily weight gain, serum protein, urea, thiocynanate and Nitrogen retention values. There were no gross histological lesions in the tissues of the test animal.

Journal of Applied Chemistry and Agricultural Research Vol. 1 (1) 1994: pp. 19-24