Effects of Partially Replacing Maize meal in Broiler Finishing Diets with Rumen Filtrate Fermented-Maize Bran on Broiler Chicken Performance

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of replacing maize with rumen filtrate-fermented maize bran (FMB) in broiler finishing diets on growth performance. Maize bran (MB) was mixed with freshly collected rumen liquid (1 liter/5kg MB) and allowed to ferment in sealed plastic polythene bags for 14 days. It was thereafter sun-dried and used to formulate finisher diets where FMB replaced maize at 0 and 50%. Then, 80-three weeks-old broilers (Cobb 500) were individually weighed and randomly divided into two groups based on body weights. The groups were randomly assigned to 0 and 50% FMB grower/finisher diets, which were supplied to birds ad libitum until 42 days of age. Feed intake, body weights, weight gains, and feed conversion ratios (FCR) were assessed. Replacing maize with FMB in broiler grower/finisher diets had significant effects on feed intake and FCR, but not on body weight and weight gains. Birds fed diets with 50% FMB had lower (p < 0.05) feed intake, but better (p < 0.05) FCR than those fed on control diets. Inclusion of FMB in the diets at 50% reduced the feed costs and increased the gross profit margin compared to when maize is incorporated at 100%. Thus, replacing maize with FMB had no deleterious effects on growth performance of broilers, but improved the feed utilization efficiency and economic returns on investment.