Assessing the potential of cassava as wheat substitute for economic meat production in White Pekin ducks

This research was completed on 240-day-old White Pekin ducklings to conclude the potential of cassava (Manihot esculenta) tubers as a cost-effective alternative to wheat in duck diets and to assess its impact on the effectiveness of the feed, meat production, and carcass quality of the ducklings. The ducklings were allotted randomly into three groups; each fed by one of the formulated experimental diets up to a time of eight weeks: control diet with no cassava (Cassava-0), and two experimental diets replacing 50% (Cassava-50) or 100% (Cassava-100) of the wheat. All three new diets were iso-nitrogenous (21.79-22.41% CP) and iso-caloric (2866-2889 kcal ME/kg). No significant difference in body weight was observed among the groups (2290.39-2338.83 g), and the daily feed intake (DFI) in the Cassava-100 group (127.59 g) was comparable to that in the Cassava-0 (126.69 g) and Cassava-50 (136.04 g) groups. The cumulative feed intake was comparable between the Cassava-100 (5548.01 kg) and Cassava-0 (5573.61 kg) groups but was lower than that of the Cassava-50 group (5689.30 kg). The 8th week cumulative FCR in the Cassava-100 group (2.37) was significantly lower than that in the Cassava-50 group (2.48) but was comparable to that of the Cassava-0 group (2.44). Furthermore, the feed intake and nutrient metabolisability remained consistent between both levels of wheat replacement (cassava -50 and cassava 100). The eviscerated weight at 6th week (range 62.43 to 65.21%) and 8th week (64.98 to 65.85) and the primal cut-up parts viz. neck, legs, breast, back and wings did not vary significantly across the groups Among the three experimental feeds, Cassava-100 (Rs. 31.56/kg) was the most economical, followed by Cassava-50 (Rs. 31.95/kg) and Cassava-0 (Rs. 32.50/kg) was the most expensive one, suggesting that wheat can fully be an economically viable alternative to cassava tubers in White Pekin duck diets for meat production for up to eight weeks.