Effect of Partial and Total Replacement of Raw and Germinated Red Sorghum Instead of Yellow Corn in The Diets on Growth Performance of Broilers

Abstract

This experiment was conducted at the poultry farm of Animal Production Department - College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad, for the period from 11/22/2020 to 2/1/2021, to demonstrate the effect of partial and complete replacement of raw and germinated red sorghum instead of yellow corn in the diets on productive performance of broilers. A total of 225 one day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were naturalized in the farm and randomly distributed to five treatments, each treatment divided to 3 replicates and each replicate content 15 chicks (10 males and 5 females). The initial weight of the chicks was from (42 to 44 g). Chicks were fed on the starter diet from 1 _ 10 day of age and grower diet from 11 _ 24 days of age and finisher diet from 25 _ 42 days of age. The raw and germinated red sorghum was partial and total replaced with yellow corn by (24 and 48%) respectively. The data of growth performance were taken at the end of each period. The birds were fed on the one of the following diets: T1: control treatment (content 48% yellow corn); T2: (48% raw red sorghum + 0.0% yellow corn); T3: (48% germinated red sorghum + 0.0% yellow corn); T4: (24% raw red sorghum + 24% yellow corn); and T5: (24% germinated red sorghum + 24% yellow corn). The growth performance data represented by body weight, weight gain rate, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were taken. The results were showed no significant differences between all transactions in growth performance during the first age period (0-10 days). In the second period (11-24 days), a significant superiority of the T1 and T2 treatments as compared with T3 and T4 treatments for the body weight and weight gain..For the last period (25 - 42 days), no significant differences were observed between all treatments.