Development of sorghum-based feeding systems for broiler chickens

Three experiments were conducted to develop sorghum-based feeding systems in broiler chickens. Study 1 determined the apparent total tract digestibility of energy and the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy concentration of grain sorghum. A total of 36 male, 14-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were allocated into four dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. The first diet was a basal diet of corn-soybean meal. The next three diets were formulated by mixing 60% of the basal diet with 40% (as-fed basis) of yellow corn, wheat, and sorghum. On both as-fed and DM basis, AME and AMEn of yellow corn (3,947 and 3,805 kcal/kg), wheat (3,847 and. 3,735 kcal/kg), and grain sorghum (3,829 and 3,734 kcal/kg) were not significantly different. Study 2 determined the effect of amino acid supplementation to low crude protein, sorghum-based diets on production performance and efficiency of nitrogen utilization in broilers from 10 to 24 days of age. Six hundred, one-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allotted to six experimental treatments. The first sorghum-based diet contained 21.8% CP, and the succeeding five diets were formulated to contain 1% CP less than the preceding diet (20.8, 19.8, 18.8, 17.8, and 16.8% CP, respectively) with amino acid supplementation. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (g N/kg BWG) linearly (P0.001) improved as CP of the diet was reduced with amino acid supplementation. Production performance of broilers fed sorghum-based, low-protein diets maintained growth performance with amino acid supplementation. However, the cost of supplemental amino acids must be lower than the potential savings from reduced soybean meal and fat inclusion in the diets. Study 3 determined the effect of complete substitution of yellow corn with either whole or ground sorghum and wheat in broiler diets on production performance, intestinal health, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Five hundred one-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly assigned in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement plus a control. Factors were cereal grain source (wheat vs grain sorghum) and physical form (ground vs whole grain), with corn as the control. Overall (d 0 to 33), there was no significant difference in overall growth performance between the birds fed the corn- soy diets and the sorghum-soy-based diets. Whole grain wheat did not affect F/G, but feeding whole grain sorghum resulted in better (cereal x form interaction, P