Conventional and unconventional feedstuffs in poultry diets: a case study of maize/sorghum based brewers dried grain (MSBDG)

Abstract

In this study,four experimental diets were prepared in a way that Diet 1 (LD1 - control) contained no maize / sorghum – based brewers dried grains (MSBDG), Jackbean and cassava root meal. Diets 2 (LD2), 3 (LD3) and 4 (LD4) contained various combinations of MSBDG, jackbean, and cassava root meal which completely replaced maize. Other ingredients were included at the same level for the four experimental diets namely LDi, LD2, LD3, and LD4. The birds were weighed at the beginning and end of the trial. Eggs were collected twice daily; morning and evening. All the eggs collected during the period of the experiment were weighed. Feed intake was determined by obtaining the difference between the quantity of feed offered and the quantity of feed remaining in the morning of the following day. The feeding trials lasted for 16 weeks. Routine vaccination and necessary medication were carried out to keep the birds healthy. A total of 98 samples were collected from each treatment (LD1, LD2, LD3, and LD4). Data was analyzed using simple regression analysis. The result showed that among all the four diets tried, diet number 3 (LD3) appears to be the best. It is therefore recommended that in the event of escalating cost of maize; maize / Sorghum Based Brewers Dried Grain (MSBDG), Jackbean and cassava root meal in the ratio of 10:20:20 could be used to replace maize completely for layers. This will result in a drastic reduction in the cost of feed which tend to constitute over 90% of recurrent expenditures of poultry farmers.

Key words: Feedstuffs, conventional and unconventional, poultry