Use of sorghum on stepwise substitution of maize in broiler feeds in Niger

With an objective to demonstrate the merits of diets based on locally produced non-tannin sorghums as against Maize a total of 240 1-day-old broiler chicks Early bird strain were randomly allocated to 20 pens (12 birds per pen) with four pens per treatment and five treatments, at the Maradi Government poultry farm in Niger for a period of 12weeks. Birds were allowed to consume feed and water on an ad-libitum basis. The treatments diets were: i) Maize -based, ii) 75% Maize+25% Sorghum, iii) 50% Maize+50% Sorghum, iv) 25% Maize + 75% Sorghum, and v) Sorghum. Birds consumed water and feed on an ad-libitum basis with body weights recorded on day 0, 21, and 49. At the end of the experiment, 5 birds per pen were randomly chosen and slaughtered for carcass analysis. All growth and carcass data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the Proc Mixed procedure of R. Live weight was used as a covariate during carcass data analysis. Bodyweight means of 41g at d-0 and 1419 g at d-49 were similar (P = 0.17) for birds fed on all five treatments. Mean Gain/feed (G/F) ratios were similar with a mean of 540 g/kg to d-49. Birds fed Maize based, sorghum-based or Maize-sorghum-based diets had similar growth performance and carcass characteristics. Thus, tannin free sorghum had nutritional value comparable to that of Maize, and in West Africa local sorghum is a good alternative for poultry feeds when grains price are similar