Nutritional Evaluation of Sundried Pro-vitamin-A Cassava Tuber Meal (Manihot esculenta crantz) Supplemented with Enzyme as Energy Source in Broiler Chicken Production

Abstract

Considering the inherent attributes of Pro vitamin-A cassava tuber meal (manihot esculenta crantz), its’ appropriate utilization for chicken diets may enhance the performance of broiler chickens. The study was therefore carried out to determine the nutritional evaluation of sundried Pro vitamin-A cassava tuber meal (manihot esculenta crantz) supplemented with nonagrain enzyme as energy source in Broiler chicken production. Pro vitamin-A cassava tubers were harvested, cleaned of debris and chopped into bits of about 0.2cm and spread on flat polythene sheet and allowed to dry under the harmattan sunshine for four days to reduce the anti-nutrients and moisture content. The dried yellow cassava was milled and then used. The proximate chemical composition showed that sundried Pro vitamin-A yellow cassava tuber meal contained 2.85% moisture, 3.3°/o ash, 2.77% crude fibre, 1.30% ether extract, 3.30% crude protein, and 86.48% carbohydrate. Five experimental straight broiler chicken diets were formulated such that, diet 1, (control) contained maize as the main source of energy, while sundried Pro vitamin-A cassava tuber meal (SDCTM) supplemented with enzyme was used to replace maize at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% respectively in the control diet. Each broiler chicken diet was fed to a group of 30 broiler chicks for 8 weeks using completely randomized design. Each treatment was further grouped into 3 replicates of 10 birds each. The broiler chickens were kept in deep litter and given feed and water ad-libitum. Parameters measured included initial body weight, final body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, cut parts weight, internal organs weight, dressed weight and cost of production. In the broiler chicken feeding trial, the broiler chickens on 75% (SDCTM) supplemented with enzyme compared favourably with those on the control diet (P<0.05) in terms of feed intake, feed conversion ratio and body weight gain and hence recorded the highest body weight gain which was significantly different (P<0.05) from those on the control diet and the rest of the treatment groups. It appeared that the broiler chickens could tolerate the sundried Pro vitamin-A cassava tuber meal supplemented with enzymes in their diets up to 100% inclusion level. The broiler group on 50% and 75% (SDCTM) supplemented with the nona grain multi-enzyme recorded similar feed conversion ratio of 2.39 and 2.32 which were significantly (P<0.05) better than those on other diets. The internal organs expressed as percent of the live weight were not affected by the treatments. The broiler chicken group on 75% (SDCTM) diets supplemented with enzyme recorded the highest dressing out percent of 74.34 followed by those on 50% (SDCTM) (68.33) diet. The percent cut parts weights were not affected by the treatment. The cost of production (cost/kg feed x feed conversion ratio) was lowest for the broiler chicken on control diet (N853.06) as against (N1,570.94) for those on 100% cassava tuber meal diet containing enzyme. For optimal performance of broiler chickens sundried Pro vitamin-A cassava tuber meal supplemented with nona-gram multi grain enzyme could be used up to 75% without affecting body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio as indicated in this study.