The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of hydrolysed cassava peel inclusion as a replacement for maize in broiler chicken feedstuff on the histology of the internal organs of broiler chickens. Thirty six, two weeks old unsexed broiler chickens were used for the study in a feeding trial of forty two days. The chickens were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments A - F using a completely randomized design. Each treatment group contained two replicates of three broiler chickens. Group A chickens (A1 and A2) were fed with the control diet (0% hydrolyzed cassava peel as main carbon source). Groups B-E (in replicates 1 and 2) were administered with experimental diets containing 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of hydrolyzed cassava peels respectively replacing maize while group F (F1 and F2) were fed with diet containing 100% unhydrolyzed cassava peels replacing maize as the main carbon source. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum for the six weeks feeding trials period. Vaccine and drugs were administered as at when due. At the end of the third week, two replicate per group were fasted for twelve hours and slaughtered. Samples of liver, kidney and heart were collected and tissue samples were taken for histological examinations. All the chickens in group F that fed on unhydrolyzed cassava peel recorded 100% mortality within the first six days of the feeding trials while those in groups A to E recorded 0% mortality. Histology of the kidney, heart and liver showed increasing mark of coagulative necrosis, degeneration of the hepatocytes and vacuolations due to the shrinking of the hepatocellular and cardiac tissues as the cassava inclusion level increases in feed. It is concluded that birds can be fed with maize replaced with up to 50% hydrolyzed cassava peel in chicken feeds without serious deleterious effects and that the wastes have useful products in animal nutrition. Also, the replacement added economic in chicken production. The hydrolysis has led to a reduction in the potency of cyanide in the peel thereby making it a safe and possible candidate in the production of chicken feeds.

The development of antibiotics-resistance pathogens in poultry which poses threat to human health has necessitated the search for alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) to improve gut microflora in poultry diets. One of the alternatives to AGPs is probiotics which are beneficial organisms. The prebiotic potentials of enzyme supplemented high fibre feedstuffs (HFFs) are not known. This study was conducted to assess the prebiotics potential of xylanase enzyme supplemented rice husk (RH) on broiler chickens (in-vivo). The study showed that replacement of maize with RH irrespective of levels supplemented with 100ppm xylanase enzyme caused a reduction in feed intake and an increase in weight gain and better FCR. It was observed that birds fed diet with 10% RH supplemented with xylanase enzyme out-performed birds fed diets with 20 or 30% RH supplemented with xylanase enzyme and closer to the birds fed the control diet which was with better FCR. Enzyme supplementation of RH helped in increasing and improving protein, ether extract and fibre digestibilities. The identification of microbes (Fungi and Bacteria) showed that dietary levels of RH (10, 20 or 30% inclusion) with supplementation of enzyme xylanase enhanced the growth of beneficial microbes which resulted in inhibition or elimination of the opportunistic/pathogenic microbes. The result of the cost benefit analysis also showed that 10% inclusion level of RH supplemented with xylanase enzyme gave the best result of a beneficiary reduction in the cost of production with the best improved broiler performance. The use of enzymes is therefore recommended when RH are required as prebiotic source in the gut of broilers.

Development of antibiotics-resistance pathogens in poultry poses threat to human health and has necessitated the search for alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry diets to improve gut microflora. One of the alternatives to AGPs is probiotics which are beneficial organisms. Prebiotics, are by-products of digestion of polysaccharides which poultry do not have enzymes to digest are food for probiotics. Advent of enzymes makes this digestion possible. The prebiotic potentials of enzyme supplemented high fibre feedstuffs (HFFs) are not known. This study was conducted to screen some HFFs such as wheat bran (WB), maize bran (MB), palm kernel cake (PKC), rice husk (RH) and brewers dried grain (BDG) for production of oligosaccharides through xylanase digestion. Five high fibre feedstuffs (HFFs) (WB, BDG, PKC, RH and MB) screened for oligosaccharides production using the Benedict's test showed that all the feedstuffs screened except maize bran tested positive for the presence of oligosaccharides. The increase in dietary levels of HFFs generally could increase feed intake, reduced weight gain and increased feed/gain ratio (p<0.05). Enzyme Supplementation generally reduced feed intake while improving crude protein retention (p<0.05). There was no significantly different (p>0.05) interaction between the nutrients and enzyme studied. It was concluded that enzyme supplementation of high fibre feedstuffs could improve growth performance, nutrient retention and increased concentration of beneficial microbes in gut. Use of enzymes is therefore recommended when HFFs are required as prebiotic source in the gut of broilers.