USE OF FERMENTED CASSAVA, PALM KERNEL CAKE AND DRIED BREWERS’ GRAINS TO PRODUCE MAIZEFREE LOW-COST DIETS FOR LAYING HENS

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine the performance of laying hens fed maize-free diets based on combinations of fermented cassava tuber meal (FCMT), palm kernel cake (PKC) and dried brewers’ grains (DBG) as source of energy. Diet I (control) contained maize as the main source of
energy while diets 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 contained FCTM, PKC and DBG at percentages of 30, 20, 20; 35, 15, 20; 35, 20, 15; 25, 20, 25 and 25, 25 and 20, respectively, completely eliminating maize. Each diet was fed to a group of 24 laying hens for 12 weeks, using completely randomized design (CRD). The
layers on the maize-free diets tended to consume more feed than those on the control diet. The group on diet 3 (35%: 15%: 20%) recorded significantly (P<0.05) higher hen-day egg production (69.50%) than those on the other diets. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in egg weights. The
group on the control diet and that on diet 3 recorded significantly (P<0.05) superior feed conversion ratios. Haugh unit of the eggs from diet 4 was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the others. Diets 3 recorded the lowest feed cost of egg production with the value of N178.67 per kg eggs as against N210.25 per kg eggs from the control. The results of the trial have shown that fermented cassava tuber meal, palm kernel cake and dried brewers’ grains can be used to produce maize-fee low-cost
diets for laying hens if properly combined.