CANE MOLASSES IN DIETS OF GROWING BROILER CHICKENS.

Abstract

Four is caloric and is nitrogenous diets differing in other essential nutrients resulting from the substitution of maize and other ingredients with graded levels of molasses (0,10,20 and 30%) were fed to 400 broilers (Hubbard) from 4 to 8 weeks of age. Results showed that 20 and 30% molasses reduced (P<0.05) feed in a quadratic pattern, and that the cause may be beak impaction resulting from the very dense and greasy diets. Body weight gains were observed with negative linearity as the inclusion rate of molasses increased. The quadric pattern observed in the feed intake was so found in the feed: gain ratio, indicating that feed conversion was worst in the 20 and 30% molasses diets which generally showed the poorest performance. The result, therefore demonstrated that in diets for growing broiler chickens, inclusion of molasses may not exceed 10% and that adaptability of older birds may be necessary for higher levels of molasses in such diets.