THE USE OF CASSAVA IN BROILER FEEDING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

An experiment was conducted to investigate the nutritional and economic effects of complete replacement of maize with sun-dried cassava (SDC) in the diet of broiler chickens raised from one day of age to seven weeks. The complete replacement of maize by SDC resulted in a 10 percent reduction (p<0.05) in final bodyweights (1.91 vs 1.72 kg); and a 5 percent reduction (p>0.05) in average feed intake (4.01 vs 3.81 kg). Feed efficiency was not affected (p > 0.05). Cost per kilogramme of feed was reduced by nearly 30 percent and cost per kilogramme of bodyweight gain lowered by about 26 percent by using SDC diet. Relative profit return after accounting for cost of feed and cost of day old chick was higher by 11 percent on the SDC diet. It was concluded that despite the reduction in final bodyweight, the attractive economic return obtained from using SDC, a locally produced ingredient, may be justified in place of maize which is imported.