Growth Performance Meat Yield and Profitability of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Incorporating Cassava Tuber Meal

A total of sixty, 14-day old broiler chickens (Cobb-500) of either sex were used in this study to assess the effects of processed cassava tuber meals (0, 15, 30, and 45 gkg) on growth responses, meat yield, and profitability of boilers; rearing from day 14 to day 33 of ages. The experimental diets were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous in nature, and were supplied the broilers ad libitum throughout the trial period. Broilers fed on control diet (i.e. exclusion of CTM) achieved higher (P<0.01) body weight, while the broilers offered diets with the highest amount (45 gkg) of CTM had the lowest body weight. Increased (P<0.01) feed intake was observed in the treatments of 21 d and 28 days of age when broilers fed diets with the supplementation of CTM, but no significant differences was found among the dietary treatments in the feed consumption of the broilers during 33 day of age. FCR differed significantly (P<.01) throughout the trial period, broilers fed diets without supplementation of CTM had the superior FCR than the others. Mortality was unaffected by all the dietary treatment groups. Moreover, different body parts (feather, head, neck, wing, viscera) and meat yields (thigh, drumstick, breast, back, giblet, dressing) were not influenced by treatments. Live weights were unaffected by all the dietary groups with/without incorporation of cassava tuber meals (CTM) up to day 21 and day 28 of ages. Statistically significant (P<0.01) decreased live weight was observed among the treatments in 33-day old birds.