Livestock Research for Rural Development 17 (1) 2005 Guidelines to authors LRRD News

Citation of this paper

Effect of feeding cassava fruit coat meal on the nutrient digestibility and performance of broilers

E A Iyayi and F K Fayoyin*

Institut für Enährungswissenchaften, Martin-Luther-Universität, Emil-Abderhaldenstr. 26, 06108 Halle, Germany.
*Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
iyayi@landw.uni-halle.de and eaiyayi@yahoo.com


Abstract

The replacement value of a by-product of cassava harvesting - cassava fruit coat (CFC) meal -  for wheat bran  for broiler production was investigated. CFC was produced by milling dried cassava fruits often discarded after harvesting the roots and stems. The CFC meal was used to replace 25, 50, 75 and 100% wheat bran (w/w) in a basal diet for broilers. Seventy-five one-week old broiler chicks were distributed into 15 pens each holding 5 birds. Each of the 5 experimental diets was allocated at random to 3 pens. At the end of the first 4 weeks (starter phase), the diets were switched to finisher diets for a further 4-week period. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Data were recorded and analysed on pen basis. CFC meal had a crude protein of 44 g/kg and crude fibre of 149 g/kg.

All production parameters, other than mortality, deteriorated as the degreed of substitution of wheat bran by CFC was increased. The apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nutrients were significantly (p<0.05) reduced by dietary increase in level of CFC.

It is concluded that CFC  can replace up to 50% of the wheat bran requirement for feeding broilers in the finisher phase, but higher levels markedly reduce performance.

Key words: Broilers, cassava fruit coat meal, performance


Introduction

Feed resources are a major input in poultry production systems in Nigeria. It is estimated that feed accounts for about 60 percent of total production costs in the commercial poultry sector. The Nigerian poultry industry was dealt a severe blow when unfavourable government policies in the 80s caused a dramatic reduction in the poultry population from 40 million birds to 6 million in the mid 90s. However, recent government policies, like the ban on the importation of frozen chickens and the support for the search of local alternatives to replace the imported conventional ones, have given cause to a steady rise in poultry production again. The use of unconventional feed resources could be one way of expanding the feed resource base of poultry production because the unconventional ration is cheaper than grain-based ration. Moreover, various techniques to produce unconventional feed resources in the tropics have been reported, although on a small-scale basis. Most of the research on these feedstuffs (reviewed by Musharaf 1990; Sonaiya 1993) have been based on intensive poultry production units. Agro-industrial by-products (AIBs) have in recent times been the focus of research in animal nutrition especially for monogastric animals. In fact, many feeds which can be fed alternatively at cheaper cost to monogastric livestock are based on the use of AIBs which are usually of no food value to humans. Babatunde (1989) reported that integration of many of these AIBs into animal feeding holds tremendous potentials in alleviating the existing situation of inadequate feed supply in the Nigerian poultry industry.

Nigeria is the leading world producer of cassava, whose roots supply energy to millions of people in the country. Its fruit can also be of value for poultry feeding. Flowering in some cultivars is frequent and regular. After pollination and subsequent fertilization, cassava ovaries develop into young fruits. The mature fruit is a capsule, globular in shape with woody endocarp (fruit coat). The coat splits explosively to release and disperse the seeds when dry (Onwueme and Charles 1994). Cassava fruit coat (CFC) is free of hydrocyanic acid (HCN), the antinutritive factor and toxic component in cassava which is found in the roots, branches and leaves of the plant. Cassava fruit coat is abundant in rural areas where flowering cultivars are grown. Its low fibre content makes it a potential dietary ingredient for rural poultry feeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of replacement of wheat bran (a conventional poultry ingredient) with cassava fruit coat on the nutrient digestibility, growth performance and carcass measures of broilers.


Materials and methods

Cassava fruit coat was obtained from cassava plots at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. The material was milled with the sieve in the milling machine adjusted such that the milled CFC had the same coarse size as the wheat bran used in the study. Seventy-five one week old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 5 experimental treatments of 3 replicates. Each replicate had 5 birds. The diets were formulated such that the cassava fruit coat meal replaced wheat bran at 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels in the diets at both the starter and finisher phases. The diets were made up with other ingredients such that the birds' requirements for nutrients were met (Tables 1 and 2). The proximate compositions of the diets and CFC meal were analysed by the method of AOAC (1990).


Table1. Composition of experimental diets for broilers at starter phase

Ingredients, g / kg

CFC0

CFC25

CFC50

CFC75

CFC100

Level of CFC replacement, %

  0

25

50

75

100

Maize

400

400

400

400

400

Wheat bran

273

204.75

136.50

68.25

-

Cassava fruit coat meal

-

68.25

136.50

204.75

273

Groundnut cake

150

150

150

150

150

Soy bean meal

100

100

100

100

100

Fish meal

 40

 40

 40

 40

 40

Bone meal

 20

 20

 20

 20

 20

Oyster shell

 10

 10

 10

 10

 10

Premix*

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

Salt

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

Methionine

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

Lysine

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

Total

1000

1000

1000

1000

1000

Analysed chemical composition

 

 

 

 

 

Crude protein, g/kg

232

222

216

210

209

Crude fibre, g/kg

56.9

59.7

66.9

67.3

69.8

Fat

52.8

52.3

51.6

42.9

41.6

Ash

160

159

151

129

128

Dry matter

807

855

828

843

850

ME, MJ

10,980

11,013

11,050

11,087

11,124

Micro-mix broiler premix supplied the following per 2.5 kg: Vitamin A: 12, 500,000.00 I.U., Vita mine D3: 2, 500, 000.00 I.U., Vitamin E: 40, 000, 000.00 mg; Vitamin B2 5,500.00 mg; Niacin: 5, 500.00 mg; Vitamin B1 3, 000.00 mg; Calcium Pantothenate: 11, 500.00 mg; Vitamin B6: 500.00 mg; Vitamin B12: 25.00 mg; Folic acid: 1,000.00 mg; Iron: 100, 000.00 mg; Zinc: 80, 000.00 mg; Copper: 8,500.00 mg; Iodine:  1,500.00 mg; Cobalt: 300.00 mg; Selenium: 120.00 mg; Anti-oxidant: 120,000.00 mg


Table 2. Composition of experimental diets for broilers at finisher phase

Ingredients, g / Kg

CFC0

CFC25

CFC50

CFC75

CFC100

Level of CFC replacement, %

  0

25

50

75

100

Maize

400

400

400

400

400

Wheat bran

308

231

154

77

-

Cassava fruit coat meal

-

77

154

231

308

Groundnut cake

125

125

125

125

125

Soy bean meal

100

100

100

100

100

Fish meal

 30

30

30

30

30

Bone meal

 20

 20

 20

 20

 20

Oyster shell

 10

 10

 10

 10

 10

Premix*

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

Salt

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

   2.5

Methionine

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

Lysine

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

   1.0

Total

1000

1000

1000

1000

1000

Analysed chemical composition

 

 

Crude protein, g/kg

218.30

216.4

215.50

208.80

201.80

Crude fibre, g/kg

65.80

89.60

98.50

101.50

103.60

Fat

51.40

50.70

49.20

40.6

39.20

Ash

101

91.40

89.8

88.70

86.10

Dry matter

860.70

867.40

86.50

869.20

844.4

ME, MJ

10, 856

10, 897

10, 939

10, 980

11, 021

*Micro-mix broiler premix supplied the following per 2.5 kg: Vitamin A: 12, 500,000.00 I.U., Vita mine D3: 2, 500, 000.00 I.U., Vitamin E: 40, 000, 000.00 mg; Vitamin B2 5,500.00 mg; Niacin: 5, 500.00 mg; Vitamin B1 3, 000.00 mg; Calcium Pantothenate: 11, 500.00 mg; Vitamin B6: 500.00 mg; Vitamin B12: 25.00 mg; Folic acid: 1,000.00 mg; Iron: 100, 000.00 mg; Zinc: 80, 000.00 mg; Copper: 8,500.00 mg; Iodine: 1,500.00 mg; Cobalt: 300.00 mg; Selenium: 120.00 mg; Anti-oxidant: 120,000.00 mg


The birds were fed for 4 weeks on the starter diet after which the diets were switched to finisher diets for another 4 weeks. Vaccination and normal routine management were adhered to. Body weights of the birds were taken at weekly intervals and feed intake determined by deducting the remnant from the total quantity supplied the previous day at specific time. At the end of 8 weeks, another set of birds were placed on the diets in metabolic cages where faeces were collected for five days for apparent nutrient digestibility (% retention) estimates. Fresh faeces were weighed and recorded daily, oven-dried, and weighed again for percent dry matter. Proximate composition of the faeces was also carried out by the method of AOAC (1990).

All data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA); means that were significant were separated by the Duncan multiple range test. Regression analysis was run using the general linear model (SAS 1997).


Results

The protein content of CFC was very low and the usefulness of it for poultry feeding therefore lies on its use as an energy source.


Table 3. Performance of broilers on experimental diets (0-8 weeks)

Parameters

CFC0

CFC25

CFC50

CFC75

CFC100

SEM

P

Reg Equation

Level of CFC replacement, %

0

25

50

75

100

Feed intake, g/ d

161

166

160

154

148

36

NS

Y= 157.78 -1.07x

Weight gain, g / d

66a

68a

67a

54b

48b

17

<0.001

Y= 474.62-1.167x

Feed conversion

2.43a

2.43a

2.38a

2.84b

3.07b

0.16

<0.05

Y= 2.426 + 0.005x

Feed efficiency

0.41a

0.41a

0.42a

0.36b

0.33b

0.02

<0.05

Y= 0.414 – 0.001x

Mortality, %

3.02

2.67

2.67

2.67

1.33

-

-

-

Note: Values with different letters on same row are significantly (p<0.05) different


All production parameters, other than mortality, deteriorated as the degreed of substitution of wheat bran by CFC was increased (Table 3). The apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nutrients (Table 4) were significantly (p<0.05) reduced by dietary increase in level of CFC.


Table 4. Nutrient digestibility (% retention) in broilers fed experimental diets

Parameters

CFC0

CFC25

CFC50

CFC75

CFC100

SEM

P

Reg Equation

Level of CFC replacement, %

0

25

50

75

100

Dry matter

74a

69a

69a

62b

45c

5.93

<0.05

Y=76.302-0.251x

Crude protein

81a

81a

83a

66b

51c

2.56

<0.01

Y=84.793-0.287x

Crude fibre

84a

80a

80a

72b

59c

3.64

<0.01

Y=86.500-0.227x

Ash

77a

72a

72a

66b

51c

4.51

<0.05

Y=79.607-0.239x

Crude fat

89a

88a

88a

81b

75b

2.19

<0.01

Y=91.114-0.141x

Nitrogen free extracts

68a

61a

61a

58b

38c

6.01

<0.05

Y=69.655-0.252x

Note: Values with different letters on same row are significantly (p<0.05) different


Discussion

Cherry (1983) reported that the extent to which an animal will increase its feed consumption is dependent on the fibre source, the lignification of the feed and the chemical variation in the fibre itself. Even though the CFC was milled to the same size as the wheat bran, the physical texture of the CFC, which was reported by Onwueme and Charles (1994) to be woody, could have caused a reduced intake by the birds (Abdelsalamie et al 1991). The reduction in weight gain observed in this study is supported by earlier reports of Summer and Leeson (1986) and Fahey et al (1990) that growth rate of birds is reduced with increased dietary fibre level. Furthermore, reports of Linderman et al (1986) and Gous et al (1990) showed that feed volume increased with increasing levels of dietary inclusion of fibre. Under this condition the nutrient density is reduced. The birds that were on the high CFC based diets could not satisfactorily consume the requisite nutrients for growth.

The results of apparent digestibility agree with the reports of Ibrahim and El-Zubeir (1991) and Lourdes et al (1999). The decreased apparent nutrient digestibility can be attributed to shorter resident time of the more fibrous diets in the intestines of the birds (Cabotaje et al 1992). 


Conclusions


Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Dr A. G. O. Dixon and Mr Paul Ilona of the Cassava Breeding Unit, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria for providing the cassava fruit coat.


References

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Received 28 October 2004; Accepted 29 December 2004

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