This study aimed to evaluate the performance and carcass characteristics of rednecks chickens fed diets containing the cassava root meal in increasing levels of inclusion of 12, 24, 36 and 48%. 360 chicks male, lineage Label Rouge were used, with eight days old, in a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replications of 12 birds each. The birds were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous from eight to 84 days. Was evaluated feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion. Were killed two birds per cage with 5% ± standard deviation of the mean weight of the cage for evaluation of carcass yield and retail cuts, wings, breast, drumstick, thigh, back, abdominal fat and edible offal (liver, heart and gizzard). Data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression at 5 % probability using the computer program SAS (2001). Concluded that there was a linear increase in weight gain of birds and feed intake with increasing levels of inclusion of the cassava root meal, can be used up to 48% in the diet without prejudice to animal performance.
alternative food; free range birds; weight gain; fed conversion