Performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens fed maize-cassava diets supplemented with methionine and inorganic sulphur

Abstract

The major challenges of cassava supplementation in poultry diets are high cyanide and low protein content. This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of maize-cassava diets supplemented with methionine and inorganic sulphur for broiler chickens. Atotal of 270 one day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to nine treatment groups of 30 birds with 10 birds per replicate. Starter and finisher diets were formulated and fed for a period of 56 days. Dietary treatments were subjected to completely randomized design. The birds were fed diets supplemented with 0, 125, 250 mg/kg DL-methionine and 0, 125, 250 mg/kg inorganic sulphur from Cu4SO .There was a linear increase in final weight (FW) and total weight gain (TWG) with supplementation of 125mg/kg DL-methionine across dietary sulphur levels at the starter phase. Birds fed diets supplemented with 125 mg/kg DL-methionine and 250 mg/kg inorganic sulphur showed higher (p<0.05values of 463.23g, 424.66g and 2.66 for FW, TWG and feed conversion ratio respectively. The finisher phase followed a similar trend. Carcass yield showed significant (p<0.05) improvement in dress weight, cut part and organ weight in birds fed diets supplemented with 125 mg/kg DL-methionine and 250 mg/kg inorganic sulphur. The findings revealed that birds with diets supplemented with125 mg/kg DL-methionine and 250 mg/kg inorganic sulphur showed improved growth performance and carcass yield. In conclusion from this study supplementation of DL-methionine and inorganic sulphur in diets for broiler chickens resulted in improved growth performance and carcass yield.