Replacement of Maize by other Cereals on Performance of Pratapdhan Chicks

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of replacing maize quantitatively at 50 per cent level with broken rice, bajra, jowar or barley in isocaloric and isonitrogenous ration on day-old Pratapdhan chicks. Two hundred and fifty day-old unsexed Pratapdhan chicks were randomly divided into 5 equal groups, each group was sub-divided in to five groups for 8 weeks. Significantly higher body weight and weight gain was observed in broken rice fed groups as compared to other treatments groups. Body weight and weight gain of maize, broken rice and bajra fed groups were significantly higher as compared to jowar and barley fed groups. The FCR at 8 weeks of age in different treatments ranged from 3.01 to 3.09 and differences were statistically non-significant. Apparent dry matter digestibility was 50.75, 54.44, 52.82, 51.15 and 52.44%, protein efficiency ratio was 1.27, 1.21, 1.26 1.21 and 1.28, and efficiency of energy utilization was 9.56, 9.35, 9.25, 9.85 and 9.58 kcal/g weight gain, in the five respective groups. Feed cost per unit gain of body weight was minimum ( 16.42) in T₂ groups. It was concluded that maize could be replaced with either broken rice, bajra or jowar at 50 percent level in the pratapdhan chick ration.