Nutritional and Performance Effects of Partial Replacement of Maize With Cassava Root ( <i>Manihot esculenta</i> Crantz) Meal in Broiler Diets

ABSTRACT The abundance and affordability of cassava root, a carbohydrate‐dense tuber, in tropical regions have drawn attention to it as a possible substitute of conventional energy source in poultry ration. This study investigated the impact of substituting maize meal with varying amounts of cassava root meal on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, hemato‐biochemical parameters, meat composition and sensory properties of broiler chickens. In this study, 400 broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were assigned to four treatment groups: T 1 (0%, diet without cassava root meal; CRM) and T 2 , T 3 and T 4 containing 10%, 20%, and 30% cassava root meal, respectively. Each group had five replicates consisting of 20 birds each, and trial ran for 35 days. The results indicated that broilers in the T 2 group had significantly higher body weight, feed intake and feed efficiency ratio, with a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR). T 2 also showed exceptional carcass characteristics without adversely affecting meat quality and blood parameters of broilers. The proximate composition of breast and thigh muscles showed significant changes ( p &lt; 0.05). In breast muscle, crude protein (CP), ash, and metabolizable energy (ME) increased with higher cassava root meal (CRM) inclusion, peaking in T 4 . In thigh muscle, crude protein (CP) significantly improved in all CRM‐based diets compared to the control (15.30%), reaching a maximum in T 3 (20.28%). The diet having 10% cassava root meal (CRM) had the highest amount of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging activity along with the best overall acceptability. The results indicate that cassava root meal can be used as a substitute for maize grains in broiler diets, without any adverse effects on the broiler's growth performance and general health status. It is suggested that maize can be replaced by 10% cassava root meal (CRM) for promoting the growth, meat quality and healthy blood profile of broilers.