RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO DIETARY LEVELS OF QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing maize (M) with Quality Protein Maize (QPM) on the performance of broiler chicken. Five experimental diets were formulated in which QPM replaced maize at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % levels coded as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. A total of 240 broilers chicks were used for the study. The birds were randomly allotted to the dietary treatments (48 birds per each) in a completely randomized design. Data generated were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of MINITAB (Version, 17). The results obtained showed that replacement of maize with QPM in broiler diets had no significant effect on growth performance; DFI (53.34-57.81g), DWG (15.09-17.26g) and FCR (3.21-3.60g), and finisher phase DFI (71.60-79.66g), DWG (34.96-44.68g) and FCR (1.72-2.30g) as well as overall phase DFI (58.66-68.03g), DWG (25.53-30.68g) and FCR (2.47-2.95g). Therefore, it is recommended that QPM can be used in place of conventional maize in broiler chicken diets without compromising the overall performance and economic advantage. Further studies should be conducted using QPM in other species of monogastric animals, to determine suitability.