Effect of fermented sorghum seed meal on the performance, carcass characteristics and blood profile of broiler finisher chicken

Abstract

Sorghum is a good and promising energy source that can replace maize in poultry ration. Thus, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented sorghum seed meal (FSSM) on performance, carcass characteristics and blood indices of broiler finisher birds. Fermented sorghum seed meal (FSSM) was used to formulate four broiler finisher rations at 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% inclusion levels. Four groups of fifteen broiler chicks of Agrited breed were randomly assigned to four treatment diets in a completely randomized design and fed for 28 days. Each group was further subdivided into three replicates of five birds each. The average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio did not show any significant difference (p>0.05). The feed cost per kg weight gain decreased as the fermented sorghum seed meal increased. All the carcass parameters measured (% dressed weight, % thigh, % breast muscle, % wing) and the internal organ weights (heart %live weight (LW), gizzard %LW and liver %LW) were not significantly different (p>0.05). The haemoglobin (HB), packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cell (RBC) increased significantly (p<0.05) as the FSSM increased. The white blood cell (WBC), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), neutrophiles, basophiles, eosinophiles, lymphocytes and monocytes did not show any treatment effect (p>0.05). The biochemical indices revealed that urea and cholesterol increased significantly (p<0.05) at 20% and 30% inclusion levels of FSSM. Creatinine, total proteins, albumin, globulin and the electrolytes (Na, K, Co3 and CL) did not show any significant treatment (p>0.05) effect. The enzymes serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) increased significantly (p>0.05) at 20% and 30% inclusion levels of FSSM. It was therefore concluded that fermented sorghum seed meal could be incorporated into broiler finisher ration up to 30% level due to cost effectiveness at this level.