Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Broiler Chicken Fed on Diets Containing Rumen Filtrate Fermented by Cassava Meal

Introduction: Maize serves as a primary energy source in poultry diets; however, rising human demands are reducing its sustainable usage, which has led to the search for more affordable alternatives such as cassava root meal. The present study evaluated key performance indicators, including feed intake, body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), dressing percentage, and carcass traits, in broiler chickens fed a diet of rumen filtrate-fermented cassava meal.
Materials and methods: A total of 96 Ross 306 one-day-old broiler chickens of mixed sex, and an average weight of 45 ± 5 g, were fed in a 42-day experimental trial at the Tatoon farm of Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya. The chickens were fed four diets with different inclusion levels of rumen-filtrate-fermented cassava root meal (RFFCM) as a replacement for maize. The control diet contained 0% RFFCM (T1), T2 contained 15% RFFCM, T3 contained 30% RFFCM, and T4 contained 45% RFFCM. Data on daily feed intake and weekly BWG were recorded during the experimental duration. At the end of the study, during the growing phase, data on live weight, carcass weight, and weights of the breast, thigh, wing, and dorsum were determined.
Results: The current findings revealed that a high inclusion of RFFCM significantly reduced feed intake without substantially altering the FCR, BWG, and average daily weight gain of the chickens per treatment compared to the control group. The present findings indicated a similarity in nutrient utilization and performance among broilers fed on the four treatments. Broilers fed on diets with 45% RFFCM inclusion exhibited the highest mean live weight (2151.75 g) and carcass weight (1524.75 g), with higher thigh and breast weights compared to the control group.
Conclusion: These findings indicated that RFFCM can be included in broiler diets up to 45% without detrimental effects on BWG, FCR, dressing percentage, and quality of the chicken carcass.

https://jwps.rovedar.com/index.php/JWPS/article/view/73/97