I.D. Kwari
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
S.S. Diarra
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
B. Saleh
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
P.R. Bovoa
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
O.A. Ramat
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
D. Tochukwu
Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
An experiment was conducted at the University of Maiduguri Poultry Research Farm to investigate the total replacement of maize grain with different cultivars of sorghum in broiler finisher diets. Two hundred and forty broiler chickens aged 28 days weighing 540.96±9.26 g were randomly allotted to 24 pens. Six finisher diets containing 20% crude protein were formulated for the experiment. Diet 1 (control) was based on maize which was replaced in the other diets by one of five cultivars of sorghum grain. Each of the diets was fed to 4 randomly selected pens of 10 birds per pen using a completely randomized design. Feed intake, weight gain and final body weight were all reduced (p<0.05) on the sorghum-based diets compared to the control. These values were further reduced (p<0.05) on the Tumbuna sorghum compared to the other sorghum diets. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) however, did not show any superiority (p>0.05) of the control over the other diets. The hematological and serum biochemical parameters did not show any advantage of maize over the sorghum grains. It was concluded that although total replacement of maize with the sorghum grains has no apparent effects on the health of finishing broiler chickens, it is not beneficial when growth is the major performance response evaluated.
PDF References Citation
How to cite this article
I.D. Kwari, S.S. Diarra, B. Saleh, P.R. Bovoa, O.A. Ramat and D. Tochukwu, 2011. Growth, Hematology and Serology of Broiler Chickens Fed Different Cultivars of Sorghum as Replacement for Maize in the Semi-Arid Zone of Nigeria. International Journal of Poultry Science, 10: 608-612.
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2011.608.612
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2011.608.612
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2011.608.612
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2011.608.612
REFERENCES
- Awoniyi, T.A.M., V.A. Aletor, I.A. Adebayo and R.O. Oyekunle, 2000. Observations on Some Erythrocyte Indices of Broiler Chickens Raised on Maggot Meal-Based Diets. In: Animal Production in the New Millennium: Challenges and Options, Ukachukwu, S.N., J.A. Ibeauchi, S.N. Ibe, A.G. Ezekwe and S.F. Abasiekong (Eds.). Nigerian Society for Animal Production, Umudike, Nigeria.
- Dowling, L.F., C. Arndt and B.R. Hamaker, 2002. Economic viability of high digestibility sorghum as feed for market broilers. Agron. J., 94: 1050-1058.
Direct Link - Hatano, T., R. Edamatsu, M. Hiramatsu, A. Mori and Y. Fujita et al., 1989. Effects of the interaction of tannins with co-existing substances. VI: Effects of tannins and related polyphenols on superoxide anion radical and on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical. Chem. Pharmaceutical Bull., 37: 2016-2021.
Direct Link - Jansman, A.J., M.W.A. Verstegen, J. Huisman and J.W. Van den Berg, 1995. Effects of hulls of faba beans (Vicia faba) with low or high content of condensed tannins on the apparent ileal and fecal digestibility of nutrients and the excretion of endogenous protein on ileal digesta and feces of pigs. J. Anim. Sci., 73: 118-127.
PubMedDirect Link - Medugu, C.I, I.D. Kwari, J. Igwebuike, I. Nkama, I.D. Mohammed and B. Hamaker, 2010. Carcass and blood components of broiler chickens fed sorghum or millet as replacement for maize in the semi-arid zone of Nigeria. Agric. Biol. J. North Am., 1: 326-329.
Direct Link - Nyannor, E.K.D., S.A. Adedokun, B.R. Hamaker, G. Ejeta and O. Adeola, 2007. Nutritional evaluation of high-digestible sorghum for pigs and broiler chicks. J. Anim. Sci., 8: 196-203.
CrossRefDirect Link - Siegel, P.B. and W.B. Gross, 1980. Production and persistence of antibodies in chickens to sheep erythrocytes. 1. Directional selection. Poult. Sci., 59: 1-5.
Direct Link - Steel, R.G.D. and J.H. Torrie, 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach. 2nd Edn., McGraw Hill Book Co., New York, USA., ISBN-13: 9780070609266, Pages: 633.
Direct Link - Teguia, A., 1995. Substituting ground mango kernels (Mangifera indica L) for maize in broiler starter diets. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol., 56: 155-158.
Direct Link - Kriegshauser, T.D., M.R. Tuinstra and J.D. Hancock, 2006. Variation in nutritional value of sorghum hybrids with contrasting seed weight characteristics and comparisons with maize in broiler chicks. Crop Sci., 46: 695-699.
Direct Link
Ali Abdurrahman Muhammad Reply
Excellent paper. It's timely, as maize is increasingly becoming under immense pressure from both humans and livestock as a source of food and feed respectively.