Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) root as a substitute of maize for broiler diets – Evidence from growth performance, carcass characteristics, hematobiochemical profile, meat quality and sensory properties

The abundance and affordability of cassava root, a carbohydrate-dense tuber, in tropical regions have drawn attention to it as a possible substitute of conventional energy source in poultry ration. This study investigated the impact of substituting maize meal with varying amounts of cassava root meal on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, hemato-biochemical parameters, meat composition and sensory properties of broiler chickens. In this study, 400 broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were assigned to four treatment groups: T ₁ (0%, diet without cassava root meal; CRM) and T ₂ , T ₃ and T ₄ containing 10%, 20% and 30% cassava root meal, respectively. Each group had five replicates consisting of 20 birds each, and trial ran for 35 days. The results indicated that broilers on the T ₂ group had significantly higher body weight, feed intake and feed efficiency ratio, with a lower FCR. T ₂ also showed exceptional carcass characteristics without adversely affecting meat quality and blood parameters of broilers. The proximate composition of breast and thigh muscles showed significant changes. Diet having 10% CRM had the highest amount of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging activity along with the best overall acceptability. In summary, our research indicates that cassava root meal can be used as a substitute for maize grains in broiler diets, without any adverse effects on the broiler’s growth performance and general health status. It is recommended that maize can be replaced by 10% CRM for promoting the growth, meat quality and healthy blood profile of broilers.