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Response of Broiler Chicks Fed a High-Tannin Sorghum Diet

Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Phone: (519) 824-4120, Ext. 3681; FAX: (519) 836-9873

Correspondence: S. Leeson

This study was conducted to evaluate the overall performance and possible changes in digestive organ weights in male broiler chicks fed a tannin-containing sorghum (HTS) diet. The effects of switching diets from corn-based to sorghum-based and vice versa were also investigated. Diets were formulated to be both isoenergetic and isonitrogenous and fed to 21 days in a completely randomized design.

HTS birds consumed more feed and gained more weight during 0-9 days than their corn-fed counterparts, although overall performance in terms of weight gain and feed efficiency was similar. Metabolizable energy and efficiency of nitrogen utilization of the HTS diet was poorer than that of the corn control. Feeding HTS followed by a corn-based diet did not result in better performance by 21 days of age. Apart from liver weights on day 9, organ weights were similar for all treatments and did not show any evidence of adaptation to the diet.

Key Words: Adaptation • broiler chicks • organ response • performance • sorghum • tannin