EFFECT OF FEEDING YEAST (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) AS A PROBIOTIC IN CASSAVA BASED DIETS ON THE NUTRIENT UTILIZATION OF BROILERS

Abstract

One hundred and twenty (120) Anak broilers were used to evaluate the effect of feeding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a probiotic in a-cassava based diets on the nutrient utilization of broilers. Birds of one (1) week of age were weighed and randomly assigned to four (4) dietary treatment formulated to contain the test ingredient probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at 0 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 % and 1.5 % diatary inclusion levels. Thirty (30) birds allotted to each of the treatment and the treatments were replicated three times. Feed and water were provided ad libitum for the seven (7) weeks duration of the experiment. It was a completely randomized design (CRD) experiment.. Result show that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in final live weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio
among the treatments. The implication of these results is that those parameters measured were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary levels of the probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Also decreasing feed production cost (N75.57/kg, N75.06/kg, N74.74/kg and N74.55/kg for diets I, II, III and IV respectively) was observed as inclusion level of the Probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) increased from 0 to 1.5 %. Breast, leg, gizzard, neck, liver and heart weight were increased across the treatments. Wings and abdominal fat weight were decreased with increase in the inclusion level of probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) from 0-1.5 %. Hence, it can be concluded that yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) can included up to 1.5 % in the diet of broilers without any negative effect on their growth performance, and carcass characteristics. There was decrease in N/kg production cost with increase inclusion level of Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in the diets.