TITLE:
Effects of Replacing Maize with Dioscarea bulbifera Flour on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens
AUTHORS:
Kemmo Kenhagho Arielle Priscila, Tchouan Deffo Gilchrist, Ngouana Tadjong Ruben, Edie Nounamo Langston Wilfried, Kana Jean Raphael
KEYWORDS:
Diocorea bulbifera, Growth Performance, Cost of Production, Broilers, Maize Substitute
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.13 No.2,
April
19,
2023
ABSTRACT: The present study was designed to evaluate Dioscarea bulbifera flour as potential
feed ingredient in broilers diets. For this purpose, 256-day-old Cobb 500
broiler chicks, were divided into 4 groups replicated 4 times in a completely
randomized design. A control ration (R0) containing maize as the main energy
source was compared to three other rations in which 50%, 75% and 100% maize were
substituted with Dioscarea bulbifera flour. The main results showed that, the increasing rate of Dioscarea bulbifera flour had no
significant (p > 0.05) effect on the digestibility of feed components. Feed
intake was higher with 50% and 75% Dioscarea bulbifera flour inclusion levels. As compared to the
control ration, a significant (p Dioscarea bulbifera flour in the ration. Dioscarea bulbifera flour induced a
linear and significant (p Dioscarea bulbifera flour could be a sustainable solution to palliate the growing inflation of
maize as animal feed ingredient. However, the incorporation level of Dioscarea bulbifera as feed ingredient
in substitution of maize must not exceed 50% at the risk of depreciating growth
performance of broilers.