Ground maize cob as a dietary ingredient for broiler chickens in the tropics

Ground maize cob (GMC) was characterized with respect to proximate, energy, fibre and mineral profile. The crude protein, fat, crude fibre, ash, NDF and ADF contents were, in g kg(-1) DM: 25, 4, 347, 24, 687 and 480, respectively, with metabolizable energy of 4.82 MJ kg(-1) DM. In a feeding trial, diets containing GMC (25, 50 and 75 g . kg(-1)) were fed ad libitum to 4 groups of 14-day-old commercial broiler chickens (n = 240) for a period of 6 weeks. Birds had free access to water. Growth performance data of birds fed diets containing GMC did not differ significantly from those on the control diet. Carcass yields were similar. No deaths nor health-related problems were recorded during the study. Haematological and blood biochemical indices were unaffected by the level of inclusion of the test ingredient. Dietary treatments had no impact on liver, gizzard and intestinal weights. It seems that in the tropics partial replacement of cereal and cereal by-products (maize and wheat bran) with GMC up to 75 g . kg(-1) diet was possible.