Comparative effects of sorghum SK-5912 (Sorghum bicolor, L. Moench) and pearl millet as dietary energy sources on performance and economics of production of broiler chickens

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with three hundred unsexed day-old broiler chicks (Marshal Strain) to evaluate the effect of sorghum SK-5912 variety as replacement for pearl millet on the growth performance and economics of production of broiler chickens. Five experimental diets were formulated with sorghum SK-5912 replacing pearl millet at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% in the diet and tagged as diets 1 (control), 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively, for both starter phase (23%CP) and finisher phase (20%CP). The chicks were randomly allotted to the dietary treatments with four replications each and 15 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The results showed no significant differences in feed intake, daily weight gain and FCR among the treatment means at the starter phase, finisher phase as well as the overall phase. Based on the cost benefit analysis diet 5 (100% sorghum SK-5912) had the cheapest feed cost N /kg gain of N 343.19 while the highest was diet 1 (N 373.85). It can therefore, be concluded that sorghum SK-5912 variety can replace pearl millet up to 100% in the diets of broiler chickens without negatively affecting the growth performance and with concomitant reduction in feed cost.