THE EFFECT OF SOAKED CASSAVA PEEL MEAL SUPPLEMENTED WITH ENZYME AS REPLACEMENT FOR MAIZE ON THE BLOOD HAEMATOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 
1.1    Background of the Study
Recently, the nutritional status of the populace in most developing countries is predominantly marked by inadequate protein intake both in quantity and quality (Taiwo et al., 2005). Efforts are being directed towards exploring all reasonable options to meet the recommended level at a reduced cost. Poultry production is a good source of animal protein and contributes immensely in boosting the consumption level of animal protein because of its short generation interval and high growth rate (Essen et al., 2005). The exponential increase in the cost of input especially feed is among the constraints in commercial broiler production (Vivian et al., 2015). Research strategies are directed towards more net return and minimizing high cost through inclusion of feed supplements and feed additives in the diets of broiler chicken.
Broiler production is one of the most popular livestock enterprises adopted by small and medium scale farmers in both rural and urban areas as it offers the highest turnover and quicker returns on investment (Afolayan et al., 2014). The benefit of broiler production is grossly affected by the high cost of feed and an established fact that feed represents the major cost of poultry production. The feed cost could be as high as 80% of the total cost of production of the finished feed (Longe, 2006).
Since birds eat in order to satisfy their energy requirement, the implication is that the energy content of a diet would determine the extent of consumption of such feed. The energy component of a feed is usually high and a reduction in the cost of energy would translate to reduced cost of feeding livestock (Ayuk et al., 2009). Maize which is predominantly used ingredient for energy in poultry feed in Nigeria is very costly, due to