Impact of commercial feed dilution with copra meal or cassava leaf meal and enzyme supplementation on broiler performance

Diarra, S.S.; Anand, S.

A preliminary study investigated the impact of commercial feed dilution with copra meal (CM) or cassava leaf meal (CLM) and enzyme supplementation on broiler performance. Commercial feed alone (control) or diluted with CM and CLM at 100 and 200 g/kg in the starter and finisher, respectively were fed without and with Challenzyme 300A at 300 g/tonne in 2 × 2 factorial arrangements with a control. Two hundred, 7-d-old male, Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five diets containing four replicates of 10 birds each. There were no interaction or main effects (P > 0.05) on feed intake (FI) during either the starter or finisher phase. In the starter phase, feed: gain (F/G) increased (P < 0.05) on CM without enzyme. Enzyme supplementation restored F/G similar to the control. Diet dilution with CM or CLM had no effect (P > 0.05) on weight gain (WG) in the starter. Diluting the feed with CM or CLM without enzyme suppressed (P < 0.05) WG and F/G in the finisher but enzyme supplementation restored the lost performances. There were no interaction or main effects (P > 0.05) on the carcass traits. Enzyme supplementation reduced (P < 0.05) feed cost per kg carcass. Heavier caeca were observed on the dilution diets (P < 0.05). Enzyme supplementation reduced caeca weight on CM (P < 0.05). The heaviest (P < 0.05) abdominal fat was recorded on the enzyme supplemented CM diet and the lightest (P < 0.05) on CLM with enzyme. In the main effects, lighter (P < 0.05) liver, gizzard and proventriculus were recorded on the control compared with the CLM diets but the weight of these segments did not differ (P > 0.05) between the control and CM and between the fiber sources. The results suggest that dilution of commercial diet with CM or CLM may be a viable option for medium and small scale broiler production in the region. There is need for more research in the level of dilution, enzyme source and concentration.