EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF DECORTICATED BROWN SORGHUM MEAL ON JAPANESE QUAIL PERFORMANCE AND PHYSIOLOGY

The widespread cultivation of brown sorghum in semi-arid regions worldwide, including Nigeria, has led to the need for processing its hulls, which are high in tannins, to enhance its nutritional value as an alternative to maize in poultry feed. This paper aimed to assess the effect of decorticated brown sorghum at different inclusion levels on the performance, carcass traits, hematological, and serum parameters of Japanese quails. To create decorticated brown sorghum meal (DBSM), brown sorghum seeds were soaked overnight, hulled, and dried before milling. Three dietary treatments were developed: Control (100% maize or 0% DBSM), 50% DBSM (50% maize + 50% DBSM), and 100% DBSM (0% maize or 100% DBSM). A total of 150 day-old quail chicks were assigned to these treatments, with 50 quails per treatment replicated five times in a completely randomized design. The quails had ad libitum access to feed and water for 42 days. The study measured weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, carcass traits, and hematological and serum parameters. Results indicated a significant difference (P < 0.05) in total weight gain and carcass weight by day 42, with quails on a 100% DBS diet exhibiting greater weight gain and carcass percentage than those on the control and 50% DBS diets. The conclusion drawn from the study is that decorticated brown sorghum can effectively replace maize in poultry diets without compromising performance or blood parameters