Effect of Feeding Yellow Maize, White Sorghum and Pearl Millet as Energy Sources on Mineral Intake, Retention and Utilisation by Guinea Fowl Under Intensive Management System

The effects of feeding yellow maize, white sorghum and pearl millet as energy sources on mineral intake, retention and utilisation in guinea fowl up to 16 weeks of age were investigated. Two hundred and forty day old keets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments each having four replicates (n=6/replicate). The four treatments were yellow maize, white sorghum, pearl millet and a commercial broiler diet (control) fed at starter, grower and finisher phases. At 6, 12 and 16 weeks of age, blood and faecal samples were collected from three randomly selected birds from each replicate and analysed for minerals. At 16 weeks of age, birds were sacrificed and the left tibiae collected for bone physical dimensions and mineral composition. Meat samples were collected from the thighs and decomposed by microwave digestion method for analysis of various minerals. Data were regarded as a split plot design with four dietary treatments and analysed using the General Linear Model Procedures in Statistical Analysis System. There were no significant differences among bone length and width of birds fed sorghum, millet, maize or control diets at 6 and 16 weeks of age.Birds fed millet based diet had significantly higher bone weights (9.35±0.13g) than birds on the other three treatment diets. Bone Na, Mg and K contents decreased by 26%, 27 % and 25%, respectively from 6 to 12 weeks of age and thereafter remained constant. Feeding a diet containing millet resulted in higher bone P (124195.66±1459.25 mg/L) than those fed other treatment diets. Birds fed diet containing sorghum had the lowest Zn (232.66±11.16 mg/L), Mn (18.37±1.31mg/L), Cu(4.49±0.66 mg/L