INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL MEDICINE (ISSN:2517-7362)

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Effect of Cassava Peel Meal on Performance and Hen-housed Lay of Pullets

Ezihe Christian Okechukwu1*, C I Uchendu2

1 Department Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry,  University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria
2 Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

CitationCitation COPIED

Ezihe CO, Uchendu CI. Effect of Cassava Peel Meal on Performance and Henhoused Lay of Pullets. Int J Vet Anim Med. 2020 May;3(2):129.

Copyright:

© 2020 Okechukwu EC, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

The performance (feed intake, body weight changes, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rate) and reproduction (percentage hen-housed lay) were studied in 108 Dominant Black pullets and 12 Harco cockerels fed diets with varying levels of processed Cassava Peel Meal (CPM). The birds were assigned into 3 experimental groups; A, B, and C comprising 36 pullets and 4 cockerels each. The first group, Group A was given the control diet containing 0% CPM, while groups B and C diets contained 10% and 20% CPM respectively. Treated diets increased feed intake significantly (P < 0.05) and had no significant effect on body weight changes, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rate. In the 32nd week, mean daily percentage hen-housed lay of pullets in diet B (10%) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than values recorded in the control diet. In the 34th and 36th weeks of production however, values of mean daily percentage hen-housed lay in the 20% CPM inclusion diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than values obtained in both the control and 10% CPM inclusion diets respectively. It was concluded that at 20% level of inclusion, CPM can be used as alternative to maize in the diets of pullets without any detrimental effect on performance and production. 

Keywords

Layers; Breeding; Production; Cassava Peel Meal; Physiology; Mortality

Introduction

Nigeria ranks high amongst the countries with the least consumer of protein in Africa in spite of the numerous human and natural resources [1]. Livestock plays a very important role in subsistence and economic development of our people, providing food products such as meat, milk, eggs, and day-old chicks for urban, per-urban and rural population. It also sustains employment and income of people who are engaged in production, processing, marketing and provides draught energy and organic manure for crop production, and also serves as a source of raw materials for some industries. Smith [2] stated that a poultry enterprise can produce meat within seven weeks of first chick being hatched, which serves as a rich source of protein. In an attempt to combat the challenge of increasing feed cost however, researchers have stressed the need for the utilization of cheaper, locally available and nutritionally viable alternative foodstuffs far removed from human and industrial interests, thereby limiting the dependence on maize for livestock production [3]. Cassava peels is one example of these agro-industrial by-products that are readily available in countries of the world where cassava is cultivated and processed into feed for man. Aside the lower values of crude protein and energy of the peel relative to those of maize, the greatest limitation to the use of cassava peels as a substitute for maize is that of its Hydrocyanic Acid (HCN) content which is harmful to monogastrics. Many processing methods that have been used to enhance the feeding value of cassava include sun-drying, parboiling, soaking in water and retting [4-6]. Unlike sun-drying and ensiling/fermentation, there is apparent paucity of information on the use of parboiling and retting for processing fresh cassava peels. Many workers [7-9] have shown that incorporation of cassava peels in cockerel ration reduces the cost of production without adverse effect on carcass quality and economy of feed conversion of birds. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the effect of substituting maize in diets of pullets and cockerels with different levels of processed cassava peel meal inclusions and assessing its effect on performance and hen-housed lay of pullets.

Materials and Methods

Feeding and weighing of animals – Measurement of growth traits
A Mettler S B 12001 electric balance was used to weigh the chicks and micro ingredients (vitamin/mineral premix, lysine, methionine and salt). The feed intake for pullets and cockerels in each pen was determined every week as the difference between the weight of total quantity of feed offered to the birds and weight of the quantity of feed left over [10,11].

The birds were weighed individually at the start of the experiment and weekly thereafter to determine their body weights changes. Daily feed intake and body weight changes were ascertained by dividing each of the weekly parameters by the figure. A sensitive balance was used to determine both the feed intake and the body weight changes.

The daily weight gain (growth rate) in percentage was determined by subtracting the average initial weight (W1 ) from the average final weight (W2 ) and multiplied by 100: 

Daily      weight gain
(growth rate) = W2 –W1 x 1001
W2 = Average Final Weight
W1 = Average Initial Weight

The feed conversion ratio was determined by dividing the feed intake by the weight gain according to Jadhav and Siddiqui [12] 
Feed Conversion Ratio 
(F.C.R. )=Feed Intake (g)Weight Gain (g)
Mortality rate
The mortality rate in percentage was assessed by subtracting the total number of dead birds from the total number of birds stocked and multiplying by 100
% Mortality Rate = Total Number of Birds Stocked – Total Number of dead birds x1001

Percentage hen-Housed lay
Eggs were packed (collected) thrice in a day at 10.00 am, 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm respectively. The percentage daily hen-housed lay was determined by dividing the total number of eggs laid within a period of 35 days by the total number of birds housed within the period and expressed as a percentage:
% Hen-housed Lay =Total Numbe rof Eggs laid within 35 DaysTotal Number of Birds Housed×1001

Experimental diets and design
The experimental diets consisted of a control diet without cassava peel meal; T1 (0%) and others containing CPM at graded levels; T2 (10%) and T3 (20%) respectively. After soaking, the cassava peels were kept inside a metal drum for 5 days; the peels were removed from the sticky water, drained with a plastic basket and subsequently sun-dried for 3-5 days. Experimental diets were assayed for proximate composition by the method of AOAC [11]. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum and the birds were adequately vaccinated (Tables 1,2 and Figure 1).


1.25 kg Animal Care Chick’s Premix at the rate of inclusion provides the following additional nutrients: Vitamin A 15,000,000 i.u., Vitamin D3 3,500,000 i,u., Vitamin E 30,000 mg., Vitamin K3 3,000 mg., Folic Acid 1,000 mg., Niacin 30,000 mg., Calpam 10,000 mg., B2 8,000 mg., Pyridoxine, Vitamin B12 20 mg., B1 3,000 mg., B6 4,000 mg., Biotin 30 mg., Antioxidant 125,000 mg., Cobalt 240 mg., Selenium 300 mg., Iodine I,400 mg., Iron 40,000 mg., Manganese 96,000 mg., Copper 6,000 mg., Zinc 80,000 mg., Choline Chloride 500,000 mg.
Table 1: Percentage Composition of Chick’s Diets


*Layer Bio-organics Premix at the rate of inclusion provides the following additional nutrients per kg of diet:Vitamin A 8,500,000.00 i.u., Vit. D3 1,500,000.00 i.u., Vit. E 10,000 mg.,Vit. K3 1,000 mg., Vit. B1 1,500 mg., Vit. B2 4,500 mg., Niacine 15,000 mg., Pantothenic Acid, 4,500 mg., Vit. B6 3,000 mg., Vit. B12 15.00 mg., Folic Acid 600 mg., Biotin H2 500.00 mg., Choline Chloride 175,000.00 mg., Cobalt 200.00 mg., Copper 3,000.00 mg., Iodine 1,000 mg., Iron 20,000.00 mg., Manganese 40,000.00 mg., Selenium 200.00 mg., Zinc 30,000.00 mg., Antioxidant 1,250.00 mgr
Table 2: Percentage Composition Of Layer Diets


Figure 1: Influence of cassava peel meal on percentage weekly hen-housed lay of pullets

Results and Discussion

Results of effect of cassava peel meal (CPM) on the performance (feed intake, bodyweight changes, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rate) of pullets in the first 10 weeks of the study are shown in (Table 3). Feed intake increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the CPM inclusions, feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was better with treatments, while average body weight changes increased in the control diet. Mortality rates showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The mean percentage daily hen-housed lay of pullets was determined from weeks 32 to 36 and the result is presented in the Figure 1. In the 32nd week, mean daily percentage hen-housed lay in diet B (10%) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than values recorded in the control diet. However, in the 34th and 36th weeks of production, values of mean daily percentage hen-housed lay in the 20% CPM inclusion diet was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than values obtained in the other diets. In the 35th week, values of percentage hen-housed lay recorded in diet B was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than values recorded in the other diets.

Birds on CPM diets were expected to consume more feed because the relationship between voluntary feed intake and caloric content of animal diets is that animals eat more of low energy diet than high energy diet in an attempt to cancel out energy deficit [12]. Cassava peel meal, the only varied ingredient must have been responsible for the increased body weight changes. Researchers have reported that body weight is commonly used to measure growth performance of animals [13]. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the cassava peels must have been eliminated by retting and sun-drying and this resulted in better feed conversion and decreased mortality rate as the ingredient increased in the various rations. The progressive increase in feed intake with increasing CPM inclusions was similar to earlier reports in broiler and layer diets [7,14,15]. Ijaiye et. al also recorded higher feed intake with increasing fermented CPM (up to 30%) in rabbit diets. The data obtained in this study is also comparable to those of [16] who fed 5-8% fibre levels with 0-0.25 supplementary enzyme and obtained increased feed intake and similar values of FCE, [17] studied performance of growing pullets fed CPM supplemented with cashew nut reject meal and observed reduced palatability and feed intake, and attributed it to nature and astringency of the feed. In the current study, FCE was severally better as the level of CPM increased which means that the birds tolerated increased levels of CPM. That the above parameters were positively utilized means that the rations were more palatable and well assimilated by the birds. With 50-80% substitution levels of CPM in the diets of point of lay Harco pullets [18], observed ultimate increase in feed intake and accelerated feed conversion and body weight gain.

The need to reduce feed cost through utilization of nonconventional, cheap, available and not-in-use by humans and other industrial resources, such as CPM necessitates finding the optimum level that can be included for good performance of birds in terms of egg production. Diets resulted in significant differences (P < 0.05) in some weekly egg production values, but the apparent total number of eggs recorded for the various dietary groups in the periods of evaluation was similar. In other words, the differences in weekly percentage hen-housed lay showed normal fluctuations in egg production observed in layer flocks, and does not necessarily reflect obvious differences among the diets. Sekoni [19] reported similar hen-housed egg production among layers in the growing phase fed conventional and 15 % CPM diets. Abeke [20] obtained hen-housed lay of 68.11-71.74% in a study to assess the performance of Shika Brown pullets fed graded levels of cooked Lablab purpureus beans.

The above researchers attributed increased daily feed intake, and consequently higher hen-housed percentage production to boiling of the pigeon seed meal. Hence, processing methods as well as, feed ingredients affect feed intake and hen-housed egg production of pullets. In another study to assess the performance of Shika Brown in commercial layers under deep litter and battery cage systems respectively [21], varied the levels of stone grit from 2-10g per bird per month in Shika Brown commercial layers and obtained similar hen-housed lay. In this work, CPM retted and sun-dried to eliminate HCN and substituted up to a level of 20% to replace maize in the diets of pullets offers great advantages in terms of feed intake, body weight changes , FCR and mortality rate. Hence, cassava peel meal resource can be effectively used to replace maize up to a level of 20% as an energy source in diets of laying birds without depressing laying performance. 


a, b: Means in the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05)
Table 3: The Influence of Cassava Peel Meal on Performance of Pullets

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