Performance and Energy Metabolism by Broiler Chickens Fed Maize and Millet Offals at Different Dietary Levels

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing maize grain with different dietary levels of maize and millet offals on performance and energy metabolism in broiler chickens. Proximate composition and metabolizable energy (ME) values were determined. Feeding trial was also conducted to comparemaize and millet offals as replacements for maize at 50 and 75% levels. The results revealed that maize offal contained 12.80% crude protein (CP), 12.07% Crude fibre (CF), 11.72% ether extract (EE), 5.42% ash and 49.91% nitrogen-free extract (NFE). Millet offal contained 20.05% CP, 8.5% CF, 5.03% EE, 5.25% ash and 52.45% NFE. The recorded ME value of maize offal was 2,225 kcal/kg while, that of millet offal was 2,506 kcal/kg compared to the 3510 kcal/kg observed for maize grain. The feeding trial indicated that at the starter and finisher phases, the replacement of maize with either ingredient increased body weights of the birds with millet offal performing better than maize offal (p<0.05). Feed intake tended to increase but not significantly (p>0.05) on the test diets compared to the control. However, the birds fed the millet offal diets consumed less feed compared to those fed the maize offal diets. The feed cost decreased on the test diets with the millet offal diets saving more cost than the maize offal diets. However, the decrease was not significant (p>0.05) It can be concluded that millet offal performed better than maize offal in terms of body weight gain, feed intake and feed cost per bird. However, it has been found that either of the ingredients can replace up to 75% dietary maize without any visible adverse effect on performance.