NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CASSAVA ROOT CHIPS AND Moringa oleifera LEAF MEAL IN BROILER AND LAYER RATIONS

Abstract

Three separate studies were conducted to investigate the feeding value of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) and cassava root chips (CRC) in broiler and layer rations. The first study evaluated the performance of broilers fed different levels of MOLM to replace soybean meal (SBM) and the second study using different levels of CRC to replace corn grain (CG). Treatments in the first study were inclusion of MOLM at 0 (T1), 5 (T2), 10 (T3), 15 (T4), and 20% (T5); and in the second study were inclusion of CRC at 0 (T1), 25 (T2), 50 (T3), 75 (T4), and 100% (T5). The third study assessed the performance of Dominant-CZ layers fed diets containing MOLM and CRC. Treatments were rations containing CRC and MOLM, i.e., T1 (0% CRC and 0% MOLM), T2 (50% CRC and 0% MOLM), T3 (0% CRC and 5% MOLM) and T4 (50% CRC and 5% MOLM). The CRC was used to substitute 100% CG and 5%MOLM inclusion in the total ration to substitute SBM, and the levels were set based on the results the first two broiler studies with the maximum level of CRC and MOLM that substituted CG and SBM without negative effect on performance of broilers. In the first two studies, 300 unsexed day old Hubbard Classic broiler chicks for each study were used. In the third study, 120 layers of 22 weeks of age and 12 cocks were used. The experimental animals in all studies were randomly divided into the treatments and three replications per treatment. The broilers and layer experiments lasted 56 days and 12 weeks, respectively. Diets for each study were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous. In the broiler studies, four birds 2 from each sex were randomly taken from each replication and slaughtered for carcass evaluation at the end of each study. The metabolizable energy content of CRC and CG were 3852 and 3753 kcal/kg DM, respectively. The crude protein content of MOLM was 28%. In the broiler study with MOLM, the daily DM intake during the entire experimental period ranged 54 to 75 g/bird and were greater (P < 0.05) for T1 than T3 and T5. The daily DM intake for birds fed different levels of CRC ranged 61 to 67 g/bird, and dietary CRC substitution to corn appeared to have little effect on total DM intake. The DM intake of laying hens was not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary inclusion of CRC and/or MOLM. In the broilers study with MOLM, daily body weight (BW) gain (ADG) for the entire experimental period were 29, 25, 22, 22 and 17 g for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively, and values were greater for T1 as compared to T3, T4 xiv and T5. Conversely, ADG of broilers ranged 23 to 27 g/day and was not affected by CRC substitution to CG. Replacement of MOLM for SBM lowered (P < 0.05) yield of most carcass parameters such as dressed weight, eviscerated weight, breast weight, thigh weight, drumstick weight and giblet weight. Sex differences were significant only in drumstick weight and drumstick and thigh percentages with greater values for males than females. Replacement of CRC for CG at higher levels (75 and 100%) lowered (P < 0.05) yield of most carcass parameters such as dressed weight, eviscerated weight, breast weight, thigh weight, drumstick weight and giblet weight. The same carcass parameters were greater (P < 0.05) for males than female birds. In the study with layers, hen-day egg production and egg mass were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary inclusion of CRC and/or MOLM. Egg weight was 48, 47, 49 and 51 gram for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, and was higher for T4 (P < 0.05) than T1 and T2. Yolk color was higher (P < 0.05) in treatments containing MOLM. Fertility of eggs was similar (P > 0.05) among treatments, and hatchability of fertile eggs was lower (P < 0.05) for T1, but comparable among other treatments. In conclusion, MOLM can be substituted to SBM in broilers diet up to a level of 5% inclusion in the total ration without negative effect on biological performance. Based on DM intake and growth performance of broilers obtained in this study, CRC could completely replace CG in broiler diets as energy feed ingredient. However, looking on the results of yields of major carcass parameters, CRC should substitute CG not more than 50%. In layers, CRC at 50% of the diet or replacing CG 100% and/or MOLM at 5% of the diet replacing SBM can impart similar or better positive effect on egg production, egg quality parameters, eggs fertility and hatchability. Therefore, both MOLM and CRC can successfully be used as dietary ingredients of broilers and layers