Authors: Olajide Ayorinde ADEYEMI, Jamiu Adeyinka ADEKOYA,Richard Abayomi SOBAYO
Revista Cientifica UDO Agricola 12 (1). 2012
Abstract
The trial reported herein investigated the performance of broiler chicken on diet containing cassava leaf meal (CLM)/blood meals (BM) mix in replacement for soybean meal (SBM). One hundred and fifty,
two weeks-old broilers were randomly allotted to five experimental diets such that each dietary treatment was replicated six times with five birds per replicate. The experimental diets were formulated such that the diets contained 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% CLM/BM mix as replacement for SBM respectively. The diets were fed over a 6-week period. Birds fed 100% CLM/BM replacement for SBM had the highest (P<0.05) feed intake, lower weight gain and poorer feed conversion ratio than the control. Weight gain and FCR were significantly higher in birds fed 50% CLM/BM in replacement for SBM than the other CLM/8M based groups. The values for the dressed weight, thigh muscle and drumstick were higher (P<0.05) in birds fed 50% CLM/BM diets than in the other dietary groups. The breast weight and abdominal fat were not affected by the diets. The weights of the liver, kidney, heart and spleen were not affected by the treatments whereas those of the crop, gizzard, proventriculus and caecum increased (P<0.05) with increasing dietary inclusion of CLM/BM in the diet. In conclusion, it can be inferred based on the general observations recorded in this study that broiler diets containing cassava leaf meal: blood meal mixture in replacement for soybean meal promote comparable daily feed intake and feed to gain ratio as their soybean based control diet and had no deleterious effect on performance. The results obtained in this trial showed that birds on diet 3 (with dietary level of inclusion 50% SBM: 50%CLM: BM) elicited the best response in terms of weight gain, feed intake and feed: gain ratio. It is concluded that not more than 50% of dietary CLM/BM should be used as a replacement for soybean.