GROWTH PERFORMANCE, DIETARY SELECTIVITY AND NUTRIENTS PROFILE OF BROILER CHICKENS ON A CAFETERIA FEEDING REGIME

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine growth performance, dietary selectivity of feed ingredients and nutrient profile of broiler chickens at 42 days of rearing. Two hundred and eighty-eight (288) unsexed day-old FUNAAB ALPHA Strain broiler chicks raised in battery cages were randomly distributed in a completely randomized design into 5 cafeteria dietary treatments and a basal dietary treatment groups of 6 replicate each containing 20% crude protein and 300kcal MC/kg. The results showed significant differences (P<0.01) among the treatment for all production variables except for feed: water radio. Weight gains were better (P>0.01) in broiler fed Red sorghum-soyabean meal-concentrate and Red sorghum-millet-soyabean meal-groundnut cakeconcentrate. The feed conversion ratio showed similar trends with the weight gains and final body weights. The co-efficient of preference (%) indicated higher values (74g 5%) for millet in millet-soyabean concentrate diet compared to 67.43% for red sorghum in Red sorghum-soyabean meal- concentrate diet. Nutrient profile of the cafeteria dietary treatments showed similar trends with other measured variables. It was shown that Red sorghum and millet can nutritionally and suitably be used with soyabean meal for cafeteria-fed broilers that can select and consumed feedstuffs to meet energy, protein and mineral needs for growth and production.