The poultry industry is facing increasing challenges related to feed cost and availability, particularly for the primary component of poultry diets - maize. Fluctuating prices and competition with human consumption have made maize a concern for poultry farmers. This study investigated the effects of substituting maize with cassava flour in broiler chicken diets on growth rate, carcass quality and meat characteristics. A total of six dietary treatments were formulated (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%). Proximate analysis of the feed formulations indicated that the dry matter content remained consistent across treatments, ranging from 86.5% to 86.7%, with moisture content varying slightly between 13.31% and 13.48%. Notably, ash content was highest in the T6 formulation, which consisted of 100% cassava, at 6.06%. The crude protein (CP) content varied significantly, with T1 (0% cassava) exhibiting the highest CP level at 25.3%, while T6 had the lowest at 17.2%. Results showed that chicken fed with higher levels of cassava (60%, 80% and 100%) had lower overall protein content in their carcasses, which may impact meat quality. Five chicken were randomly selected from each replicate for slaughter, and various carcass components were weighed and analyzed. Weekly weight gain was monitored, and data were analyzed using Analysis if Variance (ANOVA) to determine significant differences at a 5% level. The study further revealed that the inclusion of cassava flour influenced the nutritional composition of the carcass. Weekly weight gain was calculated, and findings suggested that broiler chickens on diets with lower maize and higher cassava content had reduced growth rates compared to those on higher maize diets. The study concluded that while cassava can be a suitable alternative in areas where there is heavy dependence on maize, it can effectively replace 40% - 60% maize in broiler diets. There is therefore a need for further investigation into optimal inclusion levels for maintaining growth and meat quality. Key words: maize, substitution, chicken, proximate, feed, carcass, cassava, flour
Tachie-Menson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.