Effects of pelleting millet-based diets on the performance of broiler chickens
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Date
2019
Authors
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of pelleting and replacing maize with pearl millet (PM) cultivar (Okashana 2) on the production performance and cost efficiency of broilers. The experimental design used in this study was a Completely Randomized Design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments (i.e. two processing methods (grinding and pelleting) and three replacement levels (50%, 75% and 100%). A commercial finisher
pelleted diet was used as a positive control. The first experiment investigated the effects of pelleting on nutritional composition of broiler diets when maize was replaced with PM at 50%, 75%, and 100% levels. The second experiment examined the influence of pelleting on the growth performance of broiler chickens. In this study, the effects of pelleting and replacing maize with PM on the carcass characteristics, gizzard and
proventriculus as well as the cost efficiency of broiler production were determined. Results from this study revealed that PM grains had higher (P<0.05) CP, fat and essential amino acids content compared to maize grains. Pelleted diets had higher (P<0.05) CP contents compared to their respective mash diets. Pelleting reduced (P<0.05) crude fibre, calcium and fat contents of broiler diets at all replacement levels. A combined effect of
grinding and pelleting indicated that pearl millet based broiler diets contains high CP, fat and calcium contents compared to maize based diets. Pelleting had no significant effects
(P>0.05) on the feed intake, live weights, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality rate of broiler chickens. Pelleting increased carcass weight significantly when maize is replaced with PM at 50%. Replacing maize with PM had no significant influence (P>0.05) on the feed intake, live weights, weight gain and FCR of broiler chickens. Replacing maize with PM grains had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. Replacing maize with PM had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the development of the gizzard and proventriculus. Replacing maize with PM had no significant (P>0.05) effect on feed production costs of broiler diets. Pelleting had no significant effects (P>0.05) on the cost of feeds required per 1 kg of weight gain. Due to similar gross margins observed for mash and pelleted diets, when feeding broilers, producers may choose to use either of them based on their own preferences. This study revealed that PM based diets can successfully be pelleted and replace maize up to 100 % without any adverse effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics and feeding costs. The optimal replacement level in this study was found to be 50 % PM, which yielded high weight gain, carcass weight and better FCR.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture (Animal Science)
Keywords
Pelleting, Broiler chickens