Effect of cassava flour particle size as alternative food energy source on broiler growth parameters

In order to study the effects of particle size of cassava flour on broiler growth parameters, 320 one-day-old Starbro broiler chicks were distributed in 16 pens of 20 birds balanced for the sex and the initial body weight (38.5±1.03 g). Each of the experimental diets, R0 (control without cassava) and 3 other diets R1, R2 and R3 with 50% of maize replaced with cassava flour with particles size of less than 1mm, 1 to 2 mm and 2 to 3 mm respectively, was randomly fed to 4 groups in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were distributed ad libitum during the trial (49 days). The R3 diet induced the highest body weight (BW) for males (2476±175 g) as compared with that obtained from birds under diets R0 (2255±73,1 g) and R1 (2214±98.9 g). For females, there was no significant difference (P> 0.05) between the treatments for BW. For mixed sexes, the R2 and R3 diets induced the highest BW of 2103±86.5 g (R2) and 2126±138 g (R3) and the best feed conversion ratio (2.20±0.05 for R2 and 2.30±0.09 for R3 diet) as compared with R1. However, there was no significant difference (P> 0.05) between treatments R0, R2 and R3for these parameters. Nevertheless, the ration R2 produced the cheapest (P < 0.05) kilogram bodyweight (426±10.5 FCFA) as compared with R0 (471±39.3 FCFA) and R1 (480±16.0 FCFA). It was concluded that in the conditions of the present study, the substitution of 50% of the corn by the cassava flour with particle size between 1 and 3 mm induces higher growth parameters compared to the control diet containing no cassava.