Growth performance, nutrients digestibility, intestinal microbiota and histology altered in broilers fed maize- or sorghum-based diets

Figures & data

Table 1. Calculated nutrient content of broiler diets formulated with replacement of different level sorghum on maize (g/kg; as fed).

Ingredients g/kg	Sorghum % of maize diets
	Control	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement
Maize corn	566	425	287	0.00
Sorghum grain	0.00	143	283	566
Soybean meal (46%)	346	344	342	346
Poultry oil	50.2	50.2	50.2	50.2
Dicalium phosphate	17.5	17.4	17.2	17.0
Limestone	9.06	8.28	8.68	8.16
Salt	4.46	4.46	4.28	4.13
Lysine-HCL	2.18	2.20	2.20	2.20
Threonine	1.26	1.26	1.24	1.24
DL-methionine	2.64	2.70	2.80	2.80
Choline-Cl & Coban 90	2.25	2.25	2.25	2.22
Vitamin premix	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25
Calculated nutrient content
AMEN, MJ/kg	13.0	13.0	13.1	13.1
Crude protein	210.5	211.0	209.0	210.0
Lysine	12.6	12.4	12.5	12.6
Methionine	6.0	6.1	6.1	6.1
Threonine	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5
Tryptophan	2.5	2.4	2.4	2.4
Calcium	8.8	8.7	8.6	8.7
Phosphorus	6.0	6.0	6.1	6.1
Non-phytate phosphorus	0.4	0.39	0.41	0.42

Amount per kg as fed: vitamin A 12,000 I.E.; cholecalciferol 124 μg; vitamin E (as all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate) 50 mg; vitamin K3 4 mg; vitamin B1 3 mg; vitamin B2 7.5 mg; vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride) 4.5 mg; vitamin B12 0.02 mg; nicotinic acid 69 mg; pantothenic acid 19.5 mg; folic acid 1.95 mg; biotin 0.12 mg; iron (as iron-(II)-sulfate, monohydrate) 67 mg; zinc (as zinc sulfate, monohydrate) 67 mg; manganese (as manganese-(II)-oxide 100 mg; copper (as copper-(II)-sulfate, pentahydrate) 17 mg; iodine (as calcium iodate, anhydrous) 1 mg; cobalt (as alkaline cobalt-(II)-carbonate, monohydrate) 1 mg; selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.45 mg.

Table 2. Effect of replacing dietary maize by high digestible sorghum on growth performance of broiler chickens.

Performance parameters	Treatments
	CON	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement	p value	Orthogonal contrast
Starter Phase 1–21days)
BWG (g)	704.25^a±0.62	690.25^b±0.05	670.25^c±0.62	670.25^c±0.75	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Feed intake (g)	1212.0^a±0.40	1276.0^b±0.24	1214.5^a±2.10	1221.3^a±0.25	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
FCR	1.70^b±0.05	1.80^a±0.07	1.81^a±0.09	1.81^a±0.08	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Livability %	96.75 ± 0.47	95.00 ± 0.04	94.75 ± 0.25	95.50 ± 0.44	0.080	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Finisher Phase (22–35days)
BWG (g)	1020.10^a±0.09	995.21^b±0.098	955.07^c±0.098	920.80^d±0.076	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Feed intake (g)	2183.0^a±0.87	2186.5^b±0.74	2185.5^a±0.64	2184.8^a±0.85	0.002	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
FCR	2.140^a±0.091	2.19^a±0.091	2.28^b±0.34	2.37^b±0.45	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Livability %	96.25 ± 0.47	95.25 ± 0.39	96.75 ± 0.25	96.25 ± 0.39	0.062	Linear:0.11 Qudratic:0.21
Overall period (1–35days)
Final weight(g)	1724.35^c±0.087	1645.13^b±0.054	1625.31^ab±0.034	1591.32^a±0.067	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Feed intake (g)	3395.0^a±0.076	3462.8^b±0.056	3408.0^a±0.067	3406.0^a±0.089	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
FCR	1.96^b±0.076	2.10^a±0.098	2.09^a±0.043	2.14^a±0.078	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Livability %	95.00 ± 0.091	95.00 ± 0.018	94.50 ± 0.028	94.90 ± 0.018	0.066	Linear:0.34 Qudratic:0.41

Means in rows having different superscripts are significantly different.

Table 3. Effect of replacing dietary maize by high digestible sorghum on the carcass traits (%) of broiler chickens at 35 days of age.

Trait	Control	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement	p value	Orthogonal contrast
Back (%)	23.43 ± 0.082	23.02 ± 0.002	23.31 ± 0.032	22.13 ± 0.052	0.062	Linear:0.78 Qudratic:0.61
Breast (%)	34.02 ± 0.024	32.10 ± 0.002	33.13 ± 0.082	32.30 ± 0.042	0.070	Linear:0.55 Qudratic:0.11
Wing (%)	11.92 ± 0.081	11.85 ± 0.023	11.93 ± 0.011	11.18 ± 0.042	0.091	Linear:0.71 Qudratic:0.81
Dressing (%)	70.04 ± 0.008	69.13 ± 0.012	69.40 ± 0.072	69.23 ± 0.032	0.081	Linear:0.54 Qudratic:0.76
Gizzard (%)	2.82 ± 0.008	2.94 ± 0.002	2.86 ± 0.008	2.76 ± 0.008	0.214	Linear:0.88 Qudratic:0.54
Intestine (%)	13.76 ± 0.008	13.73 ± 0.008	13.51 ± 0.004	12.97 ± 0.003	0.062	Linear:0.31 Qudratic:0.61
Heart (%)	0.88 ± 0.008	0.80 ± 0.008	0.72 ± 0.008	0.77 ± 0.008	0.080	Linear:0.71 Qudratic:0.76
Lungs (%)	0.79 ± 0.008	0.78 ± 0.006	0.78 ± 0.008	0.78 ± 0.008	0.11	Linear:0.23 Qudratic:0.81
Kidney (%)	0.76 ± 0.008	0.79 ± 0.006	0.78 ± 0.008	0.74 ± 0.008	0.061	Linear:0.98 Qudratic:0.31
Liver (%)	2.82 ± 0.008	2.86 ± 0.0012	2.83 ± 0.003	2.82 ± 0.002	0.073	Linear:0.88 Qudratic:0.51

Means in rows having different superscripts are significantly different.

Table 4. Effect of replacing dietary maize by high digestible sorghum on the ileal intestinal morphology of broiler.

Intestinal villus indices	Control	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement	p value	Orthogonal contrast
Villi height (µm)	712 ± 0.21^a	684.0 ± 0.08^b	698.0 ± 0.23^b	676.0 ± 0.15^b	0.0001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Villi width (µm)	36.20 ± 0.09^a	34.0 ± 0.12^b	35.80 ± 0.22^b	34.0 ± 0.09^b	0.003	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Villi crypt depth (µm)	106.0 ± 0.21	103.0 ± 0.171	104.0 ± 0.242	102.0 ± 0.126	0.18	Linear:0.51 Qudratic:0.44
Villus height: crept depth	6.7 ± 0.131	6.6 ± 0.345	6.7 ± 0.175	6.6 ± 0.151	0.120	Linear:0.71 Qudratic:0.88

Means in rows having different superscripts are significantly different.

Table 5. Effect of replacing dietary maize by high digestible sorghum on the nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens at 42 days of age.

Digestibility %	Treatments				p value	Orthogonal contrast
	Control	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement
Dry matter	77.60 ± 0.01	74.36 ± 0.01	75.40 ± 0.03	74.60 ± 0.05	0.070	Linear:0.61 Qudratic:0.79
Crude protein	77.43^a±0.50	77.58^a±0.31	72.61^b±0.20	70.70^c±0.33	0.001	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.01
Crude fat	87.50 ± 0.34	87.60 ± 0.33	87.32 ± 0.23	86..45 ± 0.23	0.078	Linear:0.55 Qudratic:0.67
AME (Kcal kg^-1)	2721.72^a±0.39	2699.21^b±0.18	2556.23^c±0.40	2488.21^d±0.41	0.0001	Linear:0.02 Qudratic:0.01

Means in rows having different superscripts are significantly different.

Table 6. Effect of replacing dietary maize by high digestible sorghum on the cecal microbial counts at days 21 and 28 (log₁₀cfu g⁻¹).

Gut microbes	Treatments				p value	Orthogonal contrast
	Control	20% sorghum replacement	40% sorghum replacement	100% sorghum replacement
Day 21
Escherichia coli	6.78 ± 0.03	6.78 ± 0.03	6.79 ± 0.02	6.80 ± 0.02	0.45	Linear:0.61 Qudratic:0.79
Salmonella	6.80 ± 0.09	6.81 + 0.04	6.85 ± 0.01	6.80 ± 0.09	0.34	Linear:0.61 Qudratic:0.79
Lactobacillus spp	7.18 ± 0.02^a	6.98 ± 0.03^b	6.52 ± 0.05^c	6.38 ± 0.03^c	0.04	Linear:0.01 Qudratic:0.02
Day 28
Escherichia coli	7.31 ± 0.06	7.38 ± 0.07	7.30 ± 0.05	7.33 ± 0.03	0.90	Linear:0.61 Qudratic:0.79
Salmonella	6.88 ± 0.07	6.78 ± 0.06	6.82 ± 0.05	6.81 ± 0.064	0.06	Linear:0.61 Qudratic:0.79
Lactobacillus spp	7.25 ± 0.01^a	7.08 ± 0.02^b	6.81 ± 0.02^c	6.54 ± 0.07^c	0.04	Linear:0.21 Qudratic:0.01

Means in rows having different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).