Effect of Feeding Sorghum Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles and Enzyme Supplementation on Performance of Broiler Chickens

In poultry production, the feed cost alone constitutes about 70-75% of the total cost of production of poultry meat and eggs. Distillers Dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are by-products of the spirit industry and of bio-ethanol production. They are obtained as a result of multi-stage concentration and long-lasting drying of cereal mash. These products are constituted by components from initial raw material, being insensitive to fermentation (non-starch carbohydrates, protein, fat, ash and others) and biomass of the multiplied yeasts. Dried grains of cereal distillers are rich in protein, exogenous amino acids, B-group vitamins, biotin and mineral compounds, including phosphorus [1-2]. The quality of DDGS depends upon grain selection, fermentation type and drying temperature and duration [3]. While most of the information gathered to date has focused on corn DDGS, scanty information is available in literature regarding sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (sDDGS). The production of sorghum accompanied by the rapid increase in demand for ethanol production will result in increased availability of sDDGS. Therefore, research work needs to be conducted to determine its impact on broiler performance. The sDDGS is slightly higher in crude protein, significantly higher in ADF and ash, and lower in crude fat and lysine compared to corn DDGS. Although, the level of methionine and threonine are similar, tryptophan level is substantially higher and lysine and arginine are lower, resulting in a significantly lower lysine to crude protein ratio compared to corn DDGS [4]. These differences in nutrient composition suggest that the energy value and protein quality in sDDGS would be less than corn DDGS in Abstract The present experiment was conducted on 420 straight run commercial day old (Vencobb-400) broiler chickens from 042 days. The chicks were randomly distributed into seven dietary treatments groups with three replicates of 20 birds each. The birds in group A (control group) were offered basal diet adequate in all nutrients as per BIS, 2007. The birds in dietary treatment groups B, C and D were offered diet containing sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (sDDGS) at 5, 10 and 15% levels and birds in groups E, F and G were offered diet having sDDGS at 5, 10, and 15% levels with enzyme (DSM, Mumbai), respectively. All the diets were isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous and were balanced for amino acids i.e. lysine and methionine. At 6 th week of age, the birds in treatment groups recorded comparable live body weights and cumulative weight gain to control group. At 4 th