Growth performance and economics characteristics of turkey poults fed millet-based diets as a replacement for maize

Abstract

A nine (9) weeks feeding trial was conducted on seventy two (72) day-old turkey poults to determine their growth performance and economic characteristics when fed three dietary treatments (T1, T2, and T3) containing 0 %, 25 % and 50 % replacement of maize with millet respectively. Parameters studied included weekly feed intake, weekly body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and certain economic characteristics. The performance of turkey poults fed millet at 25 % replacement showed significant (P<0.05) differences from those of other treatments in terms of body weight gain and feed conversion ratio; T2 had the highest body weight gain of 807.20g while T1 and T3 had 740.20g and 731.25g respectively. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in terms of feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality across the treatments. Also, no significant (P>0.05) difference occurred in total cost of feed consumed per bird, but the treatments were significantly (P<0.05) different in terms of cost of feed per kg live weight gain and in the revenue generated per bird, as T2 had the lowest cost of feed (₦287.26) per kg live weight gain followed by T3 (₦308.99) and T1 (₦314.42) respectively; revenue generated was highest in T2 (₦401.36) and lowest in T1 (₦349.35), with T3 having ₦349.80. Therefore, it can be concluded that millet can be used to replace maize up to 50 % in the diets of turkey poults at the starter phase with good performance; but better results are obtained with 25 % replacement.