Carcass characteristics and organ weights of broiler chickens fed varying inclusion levels of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) peel products-based diets

Abstract

The effect of feeding four cassava peel products -based diets on carcass characteristics and organ weights of broiler chickens were investigated with 455, 10-day old Ross 308 broiler chickens randomly divided into thirteen groups of 35 birds each. Each group was replicated five times and a replicate comprised seven chicks. The design was 1+ (4 x 3) augmented factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets were sundried cassava peel meal (SCPM), coarse cassava peel mash (CCPM), whole cassava peel mash (WCPM) and fine cassava peel mash (FCPM) each at three dietary inclusion levels to replace maize at 20, 40 and 60%, while the control diet was a maize-based diet. The diets were fed ad libitum to the respective grower (10-24 days) and finisher (25-46 days) experimental chickens. Results showed no significant effect (p>0.05) of feeding chickens with cassava peel-based diets on carcass primal cuts and internal offals except breast meat and spleen. Breast meat yield (24.90%) of chicks on maize-based diet was significantly higher (p<0.05) than others. Effect of interaction of cassava peel products and inclusion levels on eviscerated weight and breast weight was significant (p<0.05). The eviscerated weight (80.86%) and breast meat yield (24.90%) of chickens on control were higher (p<0.05). In conclusion, replacement of up to 60% dietary maize with cassava peel products had similar effect on broiler carcass yield and productivity but breast yield. Also, further processing of WCPM to FCPM and CCPM did not confer any advantage on chick productivity.

Keywords: Cassava peel, Internal offal, External offal, High-Quality Cassava Peel, Carcass yield