Effect of varying levels of dietary cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) leaf meal on broiler gut Morphology

Abstract

60 day old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were used for this study which lasted for 7 weeks. Four experimental diets A, B, C and D were formulated and were designed to be both isonitrogenous and isocaloric in formulation. While diet A contained no cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaf meal (CLM) and served as the control, diets B, C and D contained 15.0, 22.5 and 25.0% CLM, respectively. There were significant decreases (P<0.05) in gut weights and sizes as the level of dietary CLM increased. However, these observed decreases had no adverse effects on the overall gut morphology.

Key Words: Broiler Chickens, Cassava leaf meal, gut morphology