Shrimp waste meal supplementation of cassava products based diet fed to broiler chickens

Abstract

With the objective of investigating shrimp waste (SWM) and cassava leaf (CLM) meals as cheap alternatives and protein source mixtures that would best complement cassava root-soybean ration in total replacement for maize in broiler diets, six iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets were evaluated using two weeks old Anak broilers in a growth and digestibility trial lasting seven weeks. Diet I was a maize-soybean based control diet while diets 2 to 6 contained whole cassava root meal (WCRM) in total replacement for maize, energy for energy. Diet 2 had soybean meal (SBM) as a major source of protein taking the protein supplied by SBM in diet 2 as 100%, SBM, CLM and SWM were combined thus in diets 3/0.5SBM: 0.5SIM), 4 (0.5SBM: 0.25SWM: 0.25CLAI), 5(0.25 SBM: 0.5SWM: 0.25CLM) and 6(0.5 SWM: 0.5 CL11). Average daily feed intake, weight gain (P< 0.01) and efficiency of feed conversion (P<0.05) were significantly influenced by dietary treatments. Results indicate that replacing up to 50% supplemental protein of soybean meal with equal proportion of supplemental protein from SWM and CLM had no deleterious effects on rate and efficiency of weight gain in broiler chickens. While nutrient and energy digestibility and carcass characteristics except dressing percentage were unaffected by dietary treatment, there was indication that organs such as gizzard and small intestine were significantly tasked for digestive function, evident from the considerable increase in their weights in birds fed diets in which over 50% of soybean protein was replaced by SWM and CLM. Based on the observation from this study, it can be concluded that not more than 50% of the dietary protein contributed by soybean should be replaced by SWM and CLM as doing otherwise would bring about a worsening effect on the performance of broilers.