Comparative Evaluation of Composite Cassava Root Meal, Palm Oil and Crayfish Waste Mixture as Substitute for Maize in Broiler Chicken Diet

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the response of broiler chickens to diets containing levels of composite cassava root meal, palm oil and Cray fish dust (CCPCM) as replacement for maize. Study Design: The experiment involved five treatments with three replicates per treatment in each of starter and finisher phases in a Completely Randomized Design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Calabar, Nigeria, between September 2014 and December, 2014. Methodology: Three hundred (300) one week old unsex broiler chicks were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments consisting of three replicates of 20 birds each. The control diet (T1) contained 56% maize which was replaced with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of CCPCM to form T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The mixture was in such that it insinuates the maize in Crude Protein and Metabolisable energy (Iso-nitrogenous and Iso-Calorie). After 21 day of feeding the experimental meal, two hundred and forty of the birds were further re- randomized into 5 dietary treatments of three replicates. The control diet (T1) contained 60% maize and was replaced with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of CCPCM. The diets were all made to be iso-nitrogenous and iso- caloric.