In a feeding trial that lasted 56 days (8 weeks), cassava root-leaf meal mixture (CRLMM) was evaluated as a replacement for maize in broiler starter and finisher diets. Five experimental diets were formulated in which maize was replaced with 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% CRLMM as treatments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. All the experimental diets were pelletised and isonitrogenous. Thirty (30) birds were assigned to each of the treatment diets in a randomised complete block design and each treatment was replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate. The birds (Marshall Broiler chicks) were 7 day old at the inception of the experiment. The experimental starter and finisher diets were fed ad libitum. Data were collected for feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, mortality and nutrient digestibility. Economic performance such as feed cost, cost of total feed intake and feed cost per kilogram weight gain were also determined. Feed intake was significantly higher (P<0.05) in CRLMM based diets than control in starter, finisher and overall phases. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) at all phases of growth for weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The low mortality recorded indicated that CRLMM has little or no deleterious effects on the performance of broiler chickens. The nutrient digestibility were significantly different (P<0.05) between treatment for dry matter, ether extract, nitrogen free extract and ash. Feed cost Naira per kilogram weight gain was least for birds on diet 75% CRLMM. CRLMM showed a good promise when included in the diets of broiler starter and finisher up to 75% without a harmful effect on the performance of broilers reared in the northern guinea savannah. It was concluded that 75% of maize can be replaced with CRLMM in broiler diets in Mubi and environs.
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