ABSTRACT

Nutrient retention of finisher broilers fed graded levels of fermented composite cassava meal (FCCM) based diets was investigated using twenty four 8-weeks-old Anak broiler birds in a completely randomized design experiment, at two (2) birds per replicate. Each inclusion level constituted a treatment, which was replicated three times. Birds in a replicate were placed in a metabolic cage (107cmx60cmx50cm) made with galvanized iron with wire mesh bottom for easy collection of droppings. The birds were acclimatized for 4 days, after which they were starved for 24 hours prior to the experimental feeding to clean the crop of the previous meal. The test diets were given to the birds at 300g per replicate (as determined during the habituation period) and droppings were collected daily (by means of galvanized tray placed under each cage), weighed and oven dried at 70°cfor 72 hours. At the end of the experiment the dried droppings were pooled together on replicate basis and stored for proximate analysis. Parameters measured were nutrient retention coefficients of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract, ash and nitrogen-free extract. Results showed that, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in all the parameters considered. Dry matter and ash retention coefficients were similar (P>0.05) birds fed diets with 0% and 10% inclusion levels of FCCM, which were higher (P<O.05) than the retention values of birds fed diets containing 20% and 30% FCCM. In crude protein, crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract, depression of nutrient retention coefficients became significant (P>0.05) at 10% inclusion level. Ether extract retention coefficient was highest (P<0.05) in birds fed diet 4 (30% FCCM) followed by that of birds fed diet 2 (10% FCCM) while birds fed diet 3(20%) and diet 1(0%) had the lowest (P<0.05) retention values which were similar (P>0.05) among themselves. Following the results obtained in this study, it can be recommended that fermented composite cassava meal be included in the diet of finisher broilers at up to 10%.