Performance and economic benefits of meat-type chicken fed diets containing white and yellow cassava supplemented with different additives

01.10.2018
Two hundred and forty unsexed day-old broiler chickens were allotted to eight dietary treatments arranged in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of two cassava varieties (white and yellow cassava) supplemented with no additive (control), synthetic amino acid, cellulase enzyme and a combination of amino acid and cellulase enzyme for the starter (0–4 weeks) and finisher (4–8 weeks) phases. Data was collected on growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), cost of feed consumed per kilogram and analysed using ANOVA. Starting broilers fed a diet containing yellow cassava supplemented with amino acids had the most superior (p < 0.05) final weight (709.09 g/bird), weight gain (657.27 g/bird), best FCR (1.93), and the cheapest (p < 0.05) cost per kilogram weight gain (₦200.15/kg [US$0.56]). Finishing broilers fed a diet containing white cassava supplemented with amino acid also recorded the best (p < 0.05) FCR (2.43) and cheapest cost of feed consumed per kilogram weight gain (₦226.71/kg [$0.63]). The study concluded that dietary supplementation with amino acid when white or yellow cassava root is to be used in the nutrition of broilers is essential for improved growth performance and economic benefits to broiler farmers.