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

摘要

A preliminary study investigated the impact of commercial feed dilution with copra meal ( ) or cassava leaf meal ( ) 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 ( ) during either the starter or finisher phase. In the starter phase, feed: gain ( ) 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 ( ) 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.