Influence of Cassava Leaf Meal On Growth and Egg Quality of Layers - Quiambao, Mariell B. (Magalang, Pampanga : Pampanga State Agricultural University, 2020)
Thirty-six layers were used to evaluate the effect cassava leaf meal (CLM) on the growth and egg quality of layers. The layers were randomly selected and allocated to four treatments and replicated three times with three birds per replicate. The experimental diet included Treatment 1 with 100% commercial feeds, Treatment 2 with 95% commercial feeds and 5% CLM, Treatment 3 with 90% commercial feeds and 10% CLM, and Treatment 4 with 85% commercial feeds and 15% CLM. To determine the nutrient composition of CLM, the sample was submitted to Regional Feed Chemical Analysis Laboratory for proximate analysis. The initial and final weight of layers, feed consumption, egg production per layer, total egg production, feed conversion ratio, initial and weekly egg weight, initial and weekly egg shell thickness and initial and weekly egg yolk color were gathered. The duration of the experiment lasted for 35 days.Results reveal that there was no significant difference on initial weight of (T1=1.43; T2=1.47; T3=1.42; T4=1.43) and final weight (T1=1.50; T2=1.53; T3=1.33; T4=1.33), feed consumprion (T1=290.68; T2=287.15; T3=279.10; T4=283.11), egg production per layer (t1=2.46; T2=2.55; T3=2.62; T4=2.55), total egg production (T1=86.00; T2=89.33; T3=91.67; T4=89.33), mean feed conversion ratio (T1=6.07; T2=5.80; T3=5.77; T4=5.86), initial egg weight (T1=41.57; T2=43.43; T3=41.87; T4=42.73) and mean weekly egg weight (T1=48.12; T2=49.15; T3=48.19; T4=48.01). There was significant difference on the thickness of the shell based on a 5-week CLM feeding trial. T1 (0.30) had the lowest mean egg shell thickness while T3 (0.43) obtained the highest mean egg shell thickness as compared to the rest of the treatments. Moreover, there was a significant difference on the color of the egg york during a 5-week CLM feeding trial. T1 (4.56) had the statistically lowest egg yolk color which was significantly different to T2 (6.56), T3 (7.17)) and T4 (7.95).