Growth, Blood Chemistry and Carcass Yield of Broilers Fed Cassava Leaf Meal (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Abstract

A 25-day feeding trial involving 120, 5-week old Anak broilers was carried out in a completely randomized design to evaluate, growth, blood chemistry and carcass yield of broilers fed cassava leaf meal at dietary levels of 0, 5, 10 and 15% respectively. Feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and the control (0%) leaf meal were superior (p<0.05) to the group on 10% and 15% leaf meal. The total serum protein albumin and haemoglobin at 0% and 5% leaf meal were superior to the values on 10% and 15% leaf meal; however, cholesterol, creatinine and urea showed no significant differences (p>0.05) between the treatment group. The cut parts of the carcass showed superior values (p<0.05) in the control treatment and they differed significantly (p<0.05) from broilers on 5, 10 and 15% leaf meal in carcass yield. It is suggested that 5% inclusion of cassava leaf meal could be used in broiler finisher without any deleterious effect on growth, blood chemistry and carcass yield of broilers.