Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine

The search for alternative feed ingredients has become increasingly important due to the rising cost of conventional energy sources in poultry production. A study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and economic implications of feeding broiler chickens’ diets containing graded levels (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of wild aerial yam meal (WAYM). Ninety-six-day-old Abor Acre broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with three replicates in a completely randomised design and reared for 42 days under standard management conditions. Growth performance and economic indices were assessed. Results showed significant (p<0.05) differences in weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality, feed cost, revenue, and gross margin among treatments. Growth performance declined as the level of WAYM increased, likely due to residual anti-nutritional factors such as dioscorine, oxalate, and saponins, which may have reduced feed palatability and nutrient utilisation. Although feed cost per kilogram decreased with increasing WAYM inclusion, revenue and gross margin were also reduced. Birds fed diets containing 0% and 5% WAYM recorded superior economic returns, characterised by lower feed cost per kilogram of gain and higher gross margins. It was concluded that WAYM can be included in broiler diets at up to 5% without adverse effects on profitability, while higher inclusion levels require improved detoxification before use.