Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology
Year : 2009, Volume : 9, Issue : 2
First page : ( 165) Last page : ( 170)
Print ISSN : 0972-2963. Online ISSN : 0974-181X.

Replacement Value of Three Energy Sources for Maize in Grower's Diet Containing Blood-Rumen Content Mixture

Adeniji A.A.

Department of Animal Science, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.

Reprint request: Dr. A.A. Adeniji, E-mail: feyidot@yahoo.com

Received:  18  December,  2007.

Abstract

Six-week old Nera chicks (n=315) were used in a 8 -weeks feeding trial to determine which of these three energy sources (sorghum, millet and cassava flour) and their level of inclusion can effectively replace maize in blood- rumen content -based diet for growers. There were seven experimental treatments, such that there were three energy sources and each replaced maize at 2 levels (60 and 80% of dietary level of maize). A 3x2 factorial experiment was adopted while seventh diet was a maize based control diet for comparison. Blood -rumen content as an unconventional feed stuff was fed at an inclusion level of 20% (an established level) across all the diets. Birds increased (P<0.05) their feed intake as maize was replaced at 80% level. Birds fed on the millet replacement diets had the lowest (P<0.05) feed intake, while growers fed on sorghum, and cassava diets had comparable feed intake values. Birds on the replacement diets consumed less feed compared with growers on the maize diets. Body weight gain of birds increased as the replacement level of the energy sources increased in the diet. Pullets on the cassava replacement feed had the lowest body weight grain. Feed to gain ratio for all the experimental birds were comparable (P<0.05). The millet-fed birds gave the best profitability of 91.43%. The millet is recommended of the three assessed energy sources and it is to be fed at 80% replacement level for maize.

Top

Keywords

Maize, Millet, Cassava flour, Replacement level.

Top