EVALUATION OF WHITE AND YELLOW MAIZE (Zea mays) VARIETIES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7185Keywords:
Broiler chicken, Maize varieties,, Growth performance, Feed consumption, β-caroteneAbstract
Total of 180 day old Ross broiler chicks were used in a feeding trial to evaluate the performance of broiler chicken fed diets compounded with white and/or yellow maize varieties. Chicks were allotted randomly to three treatments each replicated four times, with 15 chicks per replicate. They were raised with a different diet T1 having yellow maize in a ratio of 100%, T2 having yellow maize and white maize mixed together in a ratio of 50:50% and T3 having white maize in a ratio of 100%. Data was collected on growth performance, carcass characteristics and density comparisons of white and yellow maize. All data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and significant differences among treatment means were compared using Tukey’s HSD test of significance. At the end of the experiment, there was a significant (P<0.05) difference in feed intake, birds fed white maize based diet showed the highest feed consumption, those fed yellow maize based diet showed the least feed consumption, whereas those fed yellow + white maize were statistically the same as birds of treatment 1 and 3. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference in their body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and feed cost per N/kg. The mass and density of the two maize varieties in different forms (whole grain and grinded forms) and as well the three experimental diets were also determined which shows a significant (P<0.05) difference in their mass and density. This findings indicate that different maize varieties (white or yellow) does not adversely affect growth performance of broiler chickens, but lesser feed quantity is required to obtain maximum performance when yellow maize is used to compound feed as a result of its density over the white maize. However, the naturally occurring pigment (β-carotene) which gives the yellow maize its yellow appearance exert the yellow colour on the shank and beak of the broiler birds fed diets compounded with the yellow maize.
