Digestibility of Cassava/Blood Meal Based-Diet and its Effect on Growth and Economics of Starter Broilers

Abstract

This study determined the effect of dietary treatments on growth performance, digestibility coefficient, haematological and biochemical indices and economics of production of starter broilers. Four broiler starter diets were formulated with different inclusion levels of a mixture of cassava flour and abattoir blood code-named “cassablood”. Diets 1, 2, 3 and 4 contained 0%, 15%, 25% and 35% cassablood respectively. One hundred and four 1-day old Anak broiler chicks were randomly assigned to the four dietary treatments (T₁ T₂ T₃ T₄). Each treatment was replicated 3 times in a completely randomized design (CRD). Parameters measured include growth indices, digestibility coefficient, and economics of production. The experiment lasted for 28 days. Treatment effects on final body weight, final weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significant (p<0.05). Birds fed cassablood-based diets compared favourably with the control diet. 15% cassablood inclusion performed equally with the control diet in feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Starter broilers on cassablood based diets were better digested and produced significantly (p<0.05) higher economic gains than the control in terms of feed cost per kilogram of the broiler. Therefore, 15% cassablood dietary inclusion level was recommended in starter broiler diet for production and profit maximization.