Using root and leaf meal of cassava to partially replace maize in broiler diet

Tran Thi Hoan and Tu Quang Hien

Abstract: Cassava root meal is rich in energy but poor in protein content, whereas cassava leaf meal is vice versa. The mixture would balance between energy and protein. That’s the reason for the experiment using a mixture of cassava root – leaf meal (CRLM)to partially replace maize in broiler diets. The ratio of root and leaf meal of cassava in the mixture was 65 and 35%. The experiment was conducted with 450 unsexed Luong Phuong broilers, from 15 to 70 days of age, allotted into 5 formulas (NT),each consisted of 10 birds, repetition of 9 times. All formulas were abbreviated to as NT1, NT2a, NT2b, NT3a and NT3b. Where NT1 was served as control, its diet did not replace grounded maize by CRLM and the metabolic energy (ME) of the diet met the feed ME standards of Luong Phuong broiler chickens. NT2a and NT2b diets were replaced 20%, NT3a and NT3b diets were replaced 30% grounded maize by CRLM, but vegetable oils were added to NT2b and NT3b diets more than NT2a and NT3a in order to achieve ME value similar to that of control (NT1). The results showed that the weight gain and FCR of NT2b were better than that of NT1, which of NT2a and NT3b were similar to NT1, which of NT3a were lower than NT1. The slaughtering parameters and meat chemical composition were not significantly different among treatments. It is concluded that the replacement of grounded maize by CRLM in broiler chicken diet as NT2b is optimal.

Keywords: broiler, replacement; Cassava leaf meal; Cassava root meal; grounded maize

Date published: 2022-08-19