Effect of Incorporating Manihot glaziovii Leaf Meal into Finishing Feed on Growth Performance in Hubbard Broilers Reared in Brazzaville

The aim of this study was to reduce the high cost of raw materials (soybean meal, wheat bran and others) which is hampering the growth of livestock development in the Republic of Congo. It was also to promote the use of local resources in poultry farming. For this purpose, the growth performance of Hubbard strain broilers was evaluated by the introduction of Manihot glaziovii leaf meal into the diet. To do this, 72 chickens were divided into three (3) batches of 24 subjects each fed with 0% control food, 10% cassava leaf flour food, and leaf flour food of cassava at 15% corresponding respectively to rations containing 0%, 10% and 15% of cassava leaf flour. During the experiment, data related to food consumption were recorded every day, and live weight data every week. The results showed that food consumption was more elevated (p<0.05) in chickens fed with feed containing 10% (193.9±9.5g) and 15% (202.1±24.1g) of cassava leaf flour. Regarding the average weight gain (2072 ±134.9g) was recorded in the subjects fed with the food containing 10% cassava leaf flour and (2022.0 ±395.2g) for that of 15%. The latter is low (p<0.05). Concerning the consumption index of chickens fed with rations containing 10% and 15% of cassava leaf flour; this was 2.0 and 2.3 respectively. As for the control batch, the chickens obtained an average live weight of 2719 ±404.6g and a consumption index of 1.2. Although, growth performance was slightly altered in subjects who received the food containing 10% and 15% of flour from the leaf organ of cassava. The Hubbard subjects studied reached the commercial weight of (2072 ±134.9g) in 45 days. Our results show that cassava leaf flour can be incorporated into broiler feed at around 10 to 15%.