GROWTH, HAEMATOLOGY, SEROLOGY AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING COCKERELS FED MAIZE, SORGHUM, MILLET AND THEIR COMBINATIONS IN THE SEMI-ARID ZONE OF NIGERIA

The response of growing cockerels was evaluated when fed maize, sorghum, millet and their combinations as the main energy source in a semi-arid environment of Borno State, Nigeria. Two hundred and seventy (270) seven (7) weeks old growing cockerels were assigned to six dietary treatments in groups of forty-five (45) birds per treatment replicated thrice with fifteen (15) birds per replicate in a complete randomized design (CRD). The treatment diets contain 100% maize (T1) control, 100% sorghum (T2), 100% millet (T3), 50% maize and 50% sorghum (T4), 50% maize and 50% millet (T5) and 50% sorghum and 50% millet (T6) as the main energy sources. The experiment lasted for ten (10) weeks. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) among all the treatment groups. Birds fed 100% maize, 50% maize and 50% sorghum, 50% maize and 50% millet, as well as 50% sorghum and 50% millet showed better (P<0.05) final live weight and overall weight gain. Significant (P<0.05) differences exist among treatment groups for all the haematological parameters except the lymphocytes but the haematological values obtained were all within the normal ranges for growing cockerels. For serology, there were no significant (P>0.05) differences for total serum protein, albumin, globulin and alkaline phosphate. However, the values for urea, creatinine, cholesterol, alkaline amino transferase (ALAT) aspertate amino-transferase (ASAT), total bilirubin and conjugate bilirubin all varied significantly (P<0.05) among all the treatment groups but did not follow any particular trend. There were no treatment effects for dressing percentage and yield of breast, drumsticks, wings, neck, legs and head. The results obtained in this study revealed that sorghum or millet or their combinations with maize can be used in growing cockerels’ diets without any adverse effects on performance in the semi-arid region of Nigeria.