Effect of Coarse Cereals Replacing Maize on Performance, Cost of Feeding and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

The present investigations have been undertaken to study the effects of feeding coarse cereals on growth performance, carcass quality traits and cost of feeding in broilers. A total of 168 chicks were randomly distributed into 21 replicates of 8 chicks each; three replicates were allotted to each of the seven dietary treatments. Treatment one was control diet containing maize as sole source of cereal, while rest of the diets were formulated replacing maize in the control diet by sorghum (at 50, 75 and 100% levels) or kodomillet (Paspalum scorbiculatum) (at 25, 50 and 75% levels). Feed consumption of broilers fed maize or sorghum diets were similar (P>0.05). Broilers fed 25% kodomillet consumed maximum (P<0.05) quantity of feed but with increasing level of kodomillet drastic reduction in the feed intake was noticed. The BW gain as well as performance index (PI) of broiler fed control diet was significantly (P<0.05) higher than all other groups. Incorporation of sorghum or kodomillet caused significant reduction in these attributes. This was reflected in feed cost per kg BW gain as well which was minimum in groups assigned maize based control diet. However, the feed cost per unit BW gain was increased (P<0.05) in kodomillet based diets compared to either control or sorghum based diets. Dietary treatments had significant influence on the overall carcass characteristics and showed variable response in different parameters in response to dietary treatments. Use of higher level of sorghum had reducing effect on the organ weights of broilers. Use of kodomillet was responsible for higher processing losses. It may be concluded that sorghum can be used economically in broiler diet to the extent of 75% replacing maize while kodo can substitute maize beneficially to the tune of only 25%. However, these coarse cereals can be economical only if they are cheaper to that of maize.