Impact of processing methods and amino acid supplementation of cassava root-leaf meal on performance and caeca microflora of broiler chicks

Abstract This study investigated the effects of processed cassava root-leaf meal (CRLM) on broiler performance and caecal microflora. A total of 240 Ross broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 10 dietary treatments in a 5 × 2 factorial design, comprising five energy sources: maize, sun-dried CRLM (SCRLM), fermented CRLM (FCRLM), FCRLM with yeast (YFCRLM), and FCRLM with rumen filtrate (RFCRLM) and two amino acid levels (Ideal and National Research Council (NRC) 1994). The NRC diets included methionine and lysine, while the Ideal diets were supplemented with threonine and arginine. Each treatment was replicated three times with eight birds per replicate, and the trial lasted 28 days. Performance parameters were recorded weekly, and on day 28, selected birds were slaughtered for analysis of their gut microflora. The results indicated that diets formulated with Ideal amino acid levels significantly (P<0.05) improved weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The birds fed RFCRLM-based diets had significantly lower (P<0.05) feed intake (FI) and better FCR, comparable to those fed maize-based diets. Notably, the combination of RFCRLM and Ideal amino acids resulted in the lowest (P<0.05) FI and the best FCR overall. Microbial analysis revealed that maize-based diets resulted in higher (P<0.05) counts of Bacillus subtilis and Proteus mirabilis, whereas the CRLM-based diet, regardless of amino acid level, resulted in significantly lower (P<0.05) total bacterial counts (TBCs). In conclusion, supplementing broiler diets with Ideal amino acids enhanced growth performance, and RFCRLM effectively reduced feed intake without compromising FCR. Moreover, processed CRLM proved beneficial in lowering microbial load when used as an alternative to maize in broiler diets.