Grain sorghum as an energy source in broiler chicken diet

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of partly or wholly substituting high tannin sorghum (HTS) and low in broiler chicken tannin sorghum (LTS) with maize diets. In Experiment One, the chemical composiTion and the TMF. values of sorghum and maize were determined. The Experiment Two, day old chicks were randomly assigned to 7 dietary treatments consisting of a broiler starter diet upto 4 weeks of age followed by a broiler finisher diet upto 7 weeks of age. The 7 Treatments fed had graded levels of the HTS and LTS (0, 20, 40, 60%). Tn F.xperiment Three, the procedure was the same as in F.xperiment Two except that the chicks were fed on two sets of sorghum grains. In one set of the sorghum grains, the HTS and LTS were treated wiTh ash before incorporating in the diets while the Other set of The sorghum grain was not treated and is referred to as untreated sorghum. Fxperiment Three had a set of 9 dietary treatments of untreated HTS, untreated LTS, treated HTS, and treated LTS graded as (0,40,60,%). Chemical analyses showed that differences existed among The sorghum grains. The LTS generalIy had higher protein content (11.54%) than The HTS (9.34%) varieties , white the WI'S had higher tannin content than the low tannin sorghums. Other aspects of chemical analyses were simjlar except that The HTS tended to have higher crude fibre (3.27%) than the LTS (3.07%) The proximate components of sorghum and maize also showed some differences. The crude protein content of sorqhum was higher than that of maize while maize had higher either extract (4.91%) Than sorghum (3.3R%). The crude fibre and content of sorghum and maize were similar. Maize had highiest TMF., followed by LTS and HTS.In Experiment Two, chicks fed on HTS as the sole cereal component gave (p<O.O5) lower weight gain and poorly fed conversion efficiency at 0-4 and not 5-7 weeks of age. compared to those on the control. Chicks on the 2O% sorghum diet prohibited significantly higher (p<O.O5) body weight gain and better feed…