Biologic and Economic Effects of Replacing Maize with Maize sievate/Palm oil in Broiler bird diets

A study aimed at replacing whole maize with maize sievate/palm oil in broiler diets was carried out to evaluate their economic and biological growth performance. Maize Sievate: Palm Oil mixture (40:1) was used to replace whole maize both in the starter and finisher diets at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% whole maize replacement levels. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with five treatments; three replicates each comprising of 20 day – old broiler birds at the starter phase. These birds were re-randomized at the finisher phase, with each treatment having 54 birds (18 birds/replicate). The starter and finisher phases lasted 28 days each. The average daily feed intake in both phases were not significantly (P<0.05) different. The daily weight gain and the final live weight of birds during the starter phase on diets 1, 2 and 3 where similar but significantly (P<0.05) higher than birds on diets 4 and 5 in that order. At the finisher phase the same trend was observed except that the significant depression was only noticed with birds on diet 5. Feed conversion ratio values were similar across the treatment diets during starter and finisher phases except on treatment diet 5 where there was significant (P<0.05) depression. Protein efficiency ratio was not significantly affected across the treatments likewise digestibility estimates. Feed cost per kilogram feed consumed in both phases seems to decrease significantly (P<0.05) with increasing in the test material. Cost/kilogram weight gain(N) during the starter phase only showed decrease at 75 and 100% diets, while during the finisher phase the decrease only took place in T5( 100%). It could be concluded that maize sievate/palm oil mixture can replace up to 50% of maize during the starter phase and 75% during the finisher phase in broiler diets.