Last updated on October 28th, 2026 at 01:44 pm
Cassava in animal feed offers a cheaper energy source than maize, and nearly every part of the plant can feed livestock. The catch is cyanide and low protein, so processing and careful formulation decide if animals thrive or fall sick.
I do not keep livestock, but cassava feed questions still reach me, because many people call me asking if I buy chips for animal feed.
As a child in Ntigha, Abia State, I watched goat owners feed their animals cassava leaves and peels.
They complained that fresh leaves and peels gave the goats a running stomach, which taught me early that raw cassava needs care.
This article compares roots, leaves, peels, and processing residues as feed for livestock and fish.
It sets out safe inclusion levels for pigs, poultry, ruminants, and fish, using published data from FAO’s Feedipedia and ILRI.
Table of Contents
Why Feed Makers Look to Cassava
Maize can make up to 65 percent of poultry feed formulations, and maize prices reached historic highs in 2024, ILRI reported in June 2026.
Cassava roots are packed with starch, so they can stand in for much of that maize as an energy source.
The same ILRI report says processed peels alone can replace up to 15 percent of the maize in animal feeds.
For feed millers and farmers, that substitution can cut costs, provided the cassava is safe and the diet stays balanced.
Cassava in Animal Feed: What Each Part Offers
| Plant part | Main value | Main caution | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roots, chips, pellets | Energy from starch | Very low protein | Chips and pellets |
| Leaves and hay | Protein, about 25 percent | Cyanide, tannins | Cassava leaves |
| Peels | Energy and fiber | Highest cyanide risk | Peel feed |
| Pulp and sievate | Leftover starch and fiber | Wet, spoils fast | Pulp market |
Roots, Chips, and Pellets
Cassava roots contain about 70 to 85 percent starch on a dry basis, but usually less than 3 percent crude protein, Feedipedia’s root datasheet states.
That makes roots a pure energy feed, which must be paired with protein sources such as soybean meal or fishmeal.
Dried chips and pellets became a global feed trade, with Thailand supplying about 80 percent of exports in 2009, the same datasheet notes.
Production, grading, and export markets for these products are covered in our guide to cassava chips and pellets.
Leaves and Hay
Cassava leaves carry an average of about 25 percent crude protein, rivaling good alfalfa, according to Feedipedia’s foliage datasheet.
Their cyanide content ranges widely, from 80 to 2,000 milligrams per kilogram of dry matter, so fresh leaves need treatment.
Wilting, sun-drying, and ensiling all reduce cyanide, and sun-drying works better than oven-drying at 60 degrees Celsius.
Cassava hay fed to cattle on rice straw improved intake, rumen conditions, and digestibility in one study the datasheet cites.
The leaves also feed people, as our cassava leaves guide explains with safe cooking methods.
Peels
Peels make up 5 to 15 percent of the root and carry more cyanide than the flesh, so they need the most careful processing.
ILRI’s High-Quality Cassava Peel method turns fresh peels into feed when they are processed within 24 hours of peeling.
Feedipedia records a Nigerian pig farm that lost over half its herd after feeding boiled, overripe peels from a bitter variety.
Drying methods and inclusion rates for each animal are detailed in our article on cassava peel feed.
Pulp and Garri Sievate
Starch factories leave behind wet pulp, while garri makers produce sievate, which Feedipedia puts at 15 to 17 percent of root weight.
Both still hold starch and fiber, but they spoil quickly unless dried or ensiled soon after processing.
Prices and buyers for this residue appear in our report on the cassava pulp market.
Stems, tops, and other leftovers from the field are covered separately in our guide to cassava residues after harvest.
Safe Inclusion Levels by Animal
These figures come from Feedipedia and assume well-processed, low-cyanide material in a properly balanced diet.
| Animal | Dried root or meal | Leaf meal | Peel meal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growing pigs | Up to 60% | Up to 36% wilted leaves | About 30% typical |
| Broilers | 20 to 40% | Under 5% | 5 to 10% |
| Laying hens | Up to 50% if low in cyanide | About 5% | About 5% |
| Cattle, goats, sheep | 30 to 40% of grain replaced | Up to 50% leaf meal in dairy diets | Not listed |
| Tilapia | About 50% of maize replaced | Not listed | Not listed |
Lower-quality cassava should stay well below these ceilings, and broilers in particular need extra methionine to make up for cassava’s poor protein.
Laying hens fed 20 percent peel meal laid about 15 percent fewer eggs, according to the Feedipedia peel datasheet.
Making Cassava Safe for Animals
Roots below 100 milligrams of cyanide per kilogram of dry matter are generally considered safe, the root datasheet explains.
Well-processed peels should stay below 50 milligrams per kilogram, according to Feedipedia’s peel datasheet.
Sun-drying and ensiling are the main detoxification methods, while soaking, squeezing, cooking, and fermentation also help.
The goat owners of my childhood fed leaves and peels fresh, which may explain the stomach problems they complained about.
Practical drying approaches for roots and residues are explained in our guide to cassava drying techniques.
Business Opportunities Around Cassava in Animal Feed
Feed made from cassava residues turns waste into income, and ILRI reports returns from 15 to over 40 percent for peel enterprises, depending on scale.
The steady calls I receive from people selling dried chips show that supply already exists in southeastern Nigeria.
Collecting peels, pulp, and sievate also removes heaps that otherwise rot near homes, as our hub on cassava processing waste describes.
Conclusion
Cassava in animal feed can replace much of the maize in rations for pigs, poultry, ruminants, and fish.
Roots and chips supply energy, leaves supply protein, and peels and pulp turn waste into cheap feed.
Every part needs proper drying or ensiling to bring cyanide down, and every diet needs added protein.
Stay within tested inclusion limits, and never feed fresh peels or leaves in large amounts.
If you produce chips, peels, or leaf meal and want guidance on feed markets, contact Cassava Pathway through this website, WhatsApp, or X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cassava replace maize in poultry feed?
Partly, since Feedipedia supports 20 to 40 percent for broilers and 50 percent for layers. Those broiler rations still need added protein and methionine to stay properly balanced.
Are fresh cassava leaves safe for goats?
Fresh leaves contain cyanide, and goat owners in my childhood village blamed them for diarrhea. Wilting, sun-drying, or ensiling the leaves first makes them much safer for ruminants.
How do you remove cyanide from cassava feed?
Sun-drying and ensiling are the most effective methods, supported by soaking, squeezing, cooking, or fermenting it. Feedipedia notes that sun-drying removes cyanide better than oven-drying at moderate temperatures.
Can pigs eat cassava peels?
Yes, processed peels can make up about 30 percent of typical pig diets. Never feed boiled peels from bitter varieties, because such peels have killed pigs in Nigeria.
Chimeremeze Emeh is a tropical crop farmer and chemical engineer from Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State, Eastern Nigeria, specializing in cassava and palm oil, with over 30 years of hands-on experience growing, harvesting, and processing cassava. He grows TMS series, TME 419, and local traditional varieties on his own farms and operates a small-scale cassava flour and starch production business through Cassava Pathway, which he founded as a CAMA-registered agribusiness in 2024. He is also the founder of Palm Oil Pathway, where he applies the same tropical farming expertise. His farms are located in Ntigha, Abia State.