Effect of varying levels of dietary cassava (<i>Manihot esculenta, Crantz</i>) leaf meal on broiler gut Morphology

Abstract

60 day old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were used for this study which lasted for 7 weeks. Four experimental diets A, B, C and D were formulated and were designed to be both isonitrogenous and isocaloric in formulation. While diet A contained no cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaf meal (CLM) and served as the control, diets B, C and D contained 15.0, 22.5 and 25.0% CLM, respectively. There were significant decreases (P<0.05) in gut weights and sizes as the level of dietary CLM increased. However, these observed decreases had no adverse effects on the overall gut morphology.

Key Words: Broiler Chickens, Cassava leaf meal, gut morphology