PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF NUTRITIVE POTENTIAL OF UMUCASS 36 CASSAVA ROOT MEAL AS SUBSTITUTE FOR MAIZE IN BROILER DIETS

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the nutritive potential of UMUCASS 36 cassava root meal as a substitute for maize in broiler diets. One hundred and fifty (150) one-week old Abor Acre strains of broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. They were replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate. The well-processed cassava root meal was substituted for maize at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels and were respectively designated as diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The birds were fed and watered adlibutum for 49 days. The results show that birds fed diet 2 gave the best (P < 0.05) mean total weight gain (2033.00g), feed-to-gain ratio (2.10), least cost/kg weight gain (#286.47), and best realizable revenue (#2033.00) and gross margin (#286.47). It was also observed that UMUCASS 36 cassava root meal is rich in ether extract (4.10%), crude fibre (6.45%) and ash (7.56%). In conclusion, though the UMUCASS 36 cassava root meal is deficient in percent crude protein, it is rich in other essential nutrients and has the potential of being used as a dietary energy source in broiler diet. So, substituting maize for UMUCASS 36 cassava root meal at 25% optimized both feed and economic efficiency. It is therefore recommended as a diet of choice whenever high dressed yield and economic efficiency are reasons for broiler production. The other diets can also be used depending on the producer's purpose and capability.