Sorghum Gluten Meal in Broiler Diets Under Different Dietary Regimens

Abstract

Two experiments were performed to determine the effect of feeding sorghum gluten meal (SGM) under different dietary regimes on broiler performance. Four hundred, one week old, un-sexed broiler chicks were used. They were randomly distributed into the experimental diets, 200 broilers per each experiment. Each experimental treatment had 5 replicates with 10 chicks in each replicate (50 birds/ treatment). In experiment one four diets (plant protein only) were formulated with different levels of SGM (0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5%). In the second experiment the same levels of SGM were used as experiment one, with (4.5, 5.9, 7.3 and 8.22%) blood meal (animal protein) supplementation. Feed intake and live weight gain were recorded weekly. The feed conversion ratios were calculated. Live weight gain, weight of eviscerated carcass, fat pad, liver, heart and gizzard were recorded. In experiment one: Results showed a significant increase (P<0.05) of the total weight gain, live weight gain and eviscerated carcass weight with increasing levels of SGM. The maximum weight gain of chicks was achieved at 15% SGM. The lowest value of chicks weight were obtained at 22.5% SGM. A linear significant (P<0.0l) reduction in feed intake, gizzard weight and relative gizzard weight were observed with increasing levels of the diet resulted in a linear significant (P<0.01) increase in the liver weight and the relative liver weight. Results of the second experiment showed that the overall weight gain, feed conversion rate (FCR), live weight gain and eviscerated carcass weight were reduced linearly by increasing the levels of SGM and blood meal in the treatments. Increasing values were observed on the relative fat pad weight and the relative gizzard weight (P<0.05) with increasing the levels of SGM and blood meal. The conclusions recommended that the level of SGM in the broiler diet should not exceed 15% and the inclusion of blood meal not more than 5.9%.