Effects of feeding four varieties of Sorghum supplemented with Maxigrain® enzyme on haematology and carcass characteristics of broiler finishers

Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of feeding four varieties of Sorghum bicolor supplemented with Maxigrain ® enzyme on haematology and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens in Kaduna state, Northern guinea Savannah of Nigeria. Five diets were formulated for the broilers at both the starter and finisher phases namely T₁ – Maize without 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme  supplementation, T₂ –Samsorg-14 supplemented with 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme, T₃ –Samsorg-40 supplemented with 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme, T₄ –Samsorg-17 supplemented with 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme and T5 –KSV-15 supplemented with 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme in replacement for maize (T1) on the performance of broiler chickens. Two hundred and twenty five (225), day old Arbor acre chicks were used and placed on a common diet and were randomly distributed on the fifth day into five dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design (CRD) with each treatment group having forty-five (45) birds per treatment and birds were allotted into three (3) replicates of 15 birds in each replicate for eight weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, 9 birds per treatment were selected based on the average weight per treatment for hematological and carcass assay. The results showed that feeding different dietary treatments supplemented with or without 0.01 % Maxigrain ® enzyme to broiler chickens had no significant (P > 0.05) effects on haematological parameters and did not compromise the health as values were within normal range. Result showed that birds fed T₁ and T₄ were not significantly (P>0.05) different in terms of final body weight, daily weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and major carcass characteristics were significantly (P<0.05) different and had higher values than birds fed T₂, T₃ and T₅ supplemented with Maxigrain ® enzyme.