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The Feeding Value of Weather-Damaged Grain Sorghum for Poultry1
The Feeding Value of Weather-Damaged Grain Sorghum for Poultry1 L. O. ROWLAND, JR., J. E. PLYLER and J. W. BRADLEY Department of Poultry Science, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, Texas 77843 (Received for publication May 16, 1977) ABSTRACT Diets containing varying levels of weather-damaged milo were fed to broilers, turkeys and laying hens. Diets in which 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100% weathered milo from two sources (both moldy and sprouted) replaced No. 2 Milo produced no significant adverse effects on body wt. or feed conversions of broilers in two experiments. Turkey poults fed diets in which 0, 33, 67 and 100% elevator run weathered grain sorghum was used to replace No. 2 Milo performed equally well, indicating that weathered milo had substantially the same feeding value as No. 2 grade grain sorghum. Egg production, albumin height, shell thickness, and mortality were not significantly affected during five 28-day feeding periods when laying diets were fed in which 33, 67 and 100% of the milo was replaced with elevator run weather-damaged milo. Slight improvements were noted for albumen height and shell thickness. No differences were noted in relation to mortality. Weathered milo, which was severely sprouted and field damaged, had approximately the same feeding value for poultry as undamaged milo.
INTRODUCTION Unfavorable weather conditions during the harvest season can cause grains to mold and sprout. This usually results in lower bushel weight, reduced yield, and downgrading, all of which contribute to significantly lower economic returns to the grower. Weathered milo is often Sample Grade and typifies grain sorghum which contains a high percentage of damaged, broken and sprouted kernels as well as being covered with mold. Sunde et al. (1976) reported that low bushel weight corn (34 or 38 lb.) reduced the growth rate of chicks. Leeson and Summers (1976) found that low weight corn contained approximately 3% less metabolizable energy than standard grade corn. Leeson et al. (1977) also reported a 12 kcal./kg. decrease in the metabolizable energy value for immature corn for each 1% increase in moisture content. The adverse effect that high levels of aflatoxins and mycotoxins have on poultry, particularly those from Asperigillus sp. Flavus and the Fusarium group of molds, is well documented. Adams and Tuite (1976) reported that corn damaged by Gibberella could be harmful to broilers; however, work by Speers et al. (1971)
'Appeared as Technical Article No. 13441, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University.
indicated that feeding Fusarium contaminated corn to laying hens had little influence on performance. Bacon and Marks (1976) reported no detrimental effects on either quail or broilers which were fed corn infected with Fusarium (Gibberella zeae). Peck (1946) reported that feeding moldy corn decreased body weights of chicks slightly while field-damaged wheat and moldy corn had no adverse effects on hens. Speers et al. (1977) reported that feeding 16 p.p.m. T-2 toxin, and 25 and 50 p.p.m. monoacetoxyscirpenol reduced feed intake and egg production of laying hens. Harms and Goff (1957) reported that Sample Grade corn containing up to 30% cracked kernels, 5% weevil damaged, 10% moldy kernels, or 40% sprouts had no significant effect on body weight or feed conversion of broilers. While published reports indicate that deleterious effects can occur from feeding moldy corn, there is little published information on the effects of feeding sprouted and weatherdamaged grain sorghum. Sanford and Deyoe (1974) fed laying hens 90% field-sprouted milo as the sole grain source for layers and obtained an increase in egg production, egg weight and feed conversion. There are two factors influencing the quality of weathered grain: 1) nutritional problems associated with sprouted and damaged grain, and 2) toxic effects due to molds or fungi. The emphasis in this study was focused on the
180
FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY
181
TABLE 1 .—Proximate analysis of grain sorghum (milo)
Moisture Crude protein Crude fat Crude fiber Ash Gross energy, kcal./g.
No. 2 milo
Pioneer1 8303B
Elevator1 run milo
12.51 9.51 2.61 2.04 1.48 3.98
12.36 9.11 1.93 2.88 1.39 3.89
12.41 9.42 2.37 2.68 1.37 3.91
1 The following Fungi species were identified: Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus candidus, Alternaria species, Curvularia species, Periconia species, Cephalosporium species, Cladosporium species, Penicillium species, and Macropbomina species. Aflatoxins if present were less than 20 p.p.b.
nutritional aspects of the grain per se rather than on the effects of toxins which may have been produced by noxious fungi since no toxins in significant quantities were isolated from the grain used in these studies. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Two sources of weather-damaged milo were obtained. The first source, Pioneer 8303B milo, was used in the first chick experiment. It was Sample Grade, had a bushel weight of 42 lb., and was severely molded. The second source was from a commercial elevator, of unknown variety, graded No. 4, had a bushel weight of 53 lb. and was also molded. This material was fed in experiments two, three and four. These two sources of milo were the most severely weathered that could be obtained at the time. The grain sorghum was black in color due to molds and contained a high percentage of sprouted kernels; in excess of 50%, with approximately 10—20% broken kernels. The material when ground was very dusty and a darker color than the No. 2 Milo (U.S. Number 2 Yellow Sorghum) which was used as a control. A proximate analysis of the three grain sorghums fed is given in Table 1. An analysis of all milo samples indicated that aflatoxins were not present at detection levels (less than 10 p.p.b.). Four experiments were coducted utilizing broiler type chicks, turkey poults and commercial layers, since there was concern by all segments of the industry as to the effects from feeding weathered grain sorghum. Experiment 1. Three hundred day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 25 decks of standard 64 X 58 X 24 cm. electrically heated starting batteries. Five repli-
cates of 12 chicks each were fed grain sorghum-soybean meal type diets (Table 2) in which the grain portion was replaced with levels of 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100% weathered Pioneer 8303B milo. The diets contained calculated values of: 23% protein, 0.87% total sulfur amino acids, 1.0% calcium, 0.77% total phosphorus and 3,187 kcal M.E./kg. Feed and water were supplied ad lib. during the three week feeding period. Experiment 2. In experiment 2, 540 day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned and maintained for 21 days on diets similar to the diets fed in experiment 1. Three replications of 36 chicks each were housed in 3.0 X 3.0 m. floor pens and fed diets in which elevator run weathered milo (Sample Grade) was used to replace 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100% No. 2 Milo. In addition, a coccidiostat (3, 5-dichloro-2,6-dimethyl-4-pyridinol) was added at the recommended level of 0.0125%. Experiment 3. One hundred ninety-two sexed day-old Broad White Nicholas turkey poults were fed diets in which 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the grain (no. 2 Milo) was replaced with elevator run weathered milo. Three replications each containing eight males and eight females were fed ad lib. for six weeks in 2.4 X 3.0 m. concrete floor pens. The poults were injected with Gentamicin at one day of age, and were placed on a coccidiostat during this six week feeding period. Experiment 4. A laying hen experiment was conducted utilizing 368, 24-week old Hyline pullets, housed in single cages. Typical milosoybean layer diets in which 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the grain (no. 2 Milo) was replaced with elevator run weathered milo were fed for five 28-day periods. Values for hen-day produc-
ROWLAND ET AL.
182
TABLE 2.-Basal diets
Ingredient Milo Soybean meal (45%) Animal fat Alfalfa (17%) Dicalcium phosphate Defluorinated phosphate Vitamin mix 1 Oyster shell flour Salt DL-methionine Manganese oxide Zinc oxide Coccidiostat 2
Broiler diet
Turkey diet
Layer diet
48.3 5 40.36 7.62
35.36 55.00 4.60
64.50 23.00 3.50
4.00 2.22 0.50 0.44 0.25 0.21 0.025 0.025
Total
2.20 0.50 6.00 0.25
0.50 0.25 0.19 0.025 0.025 0.05
0.025 0.025
100.00
100.00
100.00
'Supplied per kilogram of finished feed: Broiler diet: 5,500 I.U. vitamin A; 1,650 I.U. vitamin D 3 ; 2.2 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite; 5.5 I.U. alpha-tocopherol acetate; 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 11 mg. D-calcium pantothenate; 27.5 mg. niacin; 50 mg. choline chloride; 13 meg. vitamin B, 2 . Turkey diet: 13,200 I.U. vitamin A;4,400 I.U. vitamin D 3 ; 11 I.U. dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate; 22 mg; vitamin B, 2 ; 616 mg. riboflavin; 33 mg. niacin; 17.6 mg. calcium d-pantothenate; 880 mg. choline chloride; 7 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite complex; 2.2 mg. folic acid; 11 mg. pyridoxine hydrochloride; 220 meg. biotin; 14 meg. vitamin B, 2 ;ethoxyquin 0.125%. Layer diet: 11,000 I.U. vitamin A; 3,300 I.C.U. vitamin D 3 ; 2.2 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite; 5.5 I.U. D-a-tocopherol acetate; 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 11 mg. D-calcium pantothenate; 27.5 mg. niacin; 50 mg. choline chloride; 13 meg. vitamin Bj 2 . 2
0.0125% l-(amino-2-n-propyl-5-pyrimidinylmethyl)-2-picolinium chloride hydrochloride.
tion, mortality, albumen height, and percent shell were obtained for each 28-day period of production. In addition, eight hens on each diet were sacrificed at the termination of the experiment and histopathological examinations of liver and kidney tissue were performed. Data for all experiments were subjected, where appropriate, to analysis of variance as described by Steel and Torrie (1960).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Experiments 1 and 2. Body weights and feed conversions at twenty-one days of age are shown in Table 3. No statistically significant differences in body weights or feed conversions were found between treatment groups in experiment 1 even though there was a slight numerical decrease in body weight when 50%
TABLE 3.—Twenty-one day broiler body weights and feed conversion (experiments 1 and 2) Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Treatment
Average body wts. (g-)
Feed conversion
UW Milo1 10% W Milo2 25% W Milo 50% W Milo 100% W Milo
539 545 540 525 521
1.43 1.41 1.38 1.40 1.44
1
Indicates non-weathered No. 2 milo.
2
Indicates weather damaged milo.
Average body wts. (g.) 325 315 317 321 314
183
FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY
and 100% of the grain was from the weathered source. Similarly no significant differences in feed conversion were obtained. Total mortality was less than 1% for all diets. In the second experiment, adverse weather conditions, unusually wet, cold, and windy weather, prevented optimum growth at the low bird density in the floor pens. Even though optimum growth was not obtained and the chicks were quite variable in size, there was no indication that weathered milo had any substantial effect on broiler growth under these stress conditions. There were no statistically significant differences between any of the diets when body weights were examined. Because of the poor growth performance, feed efficiency figures were not presented. As in experiment 1, mortality was less than 1% for all diets. Experiment 3. Data on the growth performance of turkeys are given in Table 4. There were no statistically significant differences between groups of turkeys when males and females were combined at six weeks of age, nor was there a significant treatment X sex interaction. However, the males fed 100% weathered milo were numerically heavier than the controls while the females were lighter. Feed conversions at six weeks were essentially the same for all four treatments. The turkey is considered to be more sensitive than chickens to aflatoxins, and since the mortality for all groups was low, the indications are that any toxins which may have been present were in very low concentrations. It was concluded that the weather-damaged milo fed had no apparent deleterious effect on growing turkeys to six weeks of age. Experiment 4. A summary of the data for the laying hen experiment is given in Table 5. During five, twenty-eight day feeding periods hens fed diets in which 33, 67 and 100% weathered milo was used to replace No. 2 Milo produced more eggs than those fed No. 2 Milo. This numerical increase in egg production approached statistical significance for the 33% weathered milo group. The limited quantity of weathered grain from the same source limited the number of hens and length of time feeding trials could be run. Egg weight, albumen height, and percent shell were similar for all groups, and mortality remained low during the five 28-day feeding periods. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney tissues revealed no damage due to toxins. The observations with laying hens in this
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study are similar to those obtained by Sanford and Deyoe (1974), who fed 90% field sprouted milo as the sole grain source to layers. They too concluded that field sprouted milo was equal in feeding value to commercial grade milo for egg production. Unlike their results, no significant differences were noted in egg weight and feed conversion in the current study. Certainly there was no detrimental effect on these traits. There are no comparable data in the literature on the effects of weathered grain sorghum on young broiler chicks and turkey poults. Harms and Goff (1957) fed Sample Grade corn to broiler chicks with no significant effect on body weight or feed conversion. No significant differences in growth, feed conversion or mortality in either broiler chicks or turkey poults were noted in this study using Sample Grade milo at varying levels in the diet. For a grain source to have a negative effect on performance, it may be essential that it have a significantly reduced energy level and/or be high in harmful mycotoxins. Sunde et al. (1976) reported that low weight corn reduced growth in chicks. Leeson and Summers (1976) reported that low weight corn contained 3% less metabolizable energy than standard corn. In the current study, the two samples of weathered grain sorghum had proximate analyses similar to that of no. 2 Milo, and one might not expect a drop in performance from feeding these milos. In this study, neither of the two samples of weathered milo produced obvious detrimental effects on performance. Thus it must be concluded, at least at this point, that grain sorghum may not be significantly altered nutritionally by weather damage.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. R. E. Lichtenwalner and Professor J, K. Riggs for supplying the milo used in these studies, Dr. R. E. Pettit for the identification of mold species and Dr. C. R. Hall for the histopathological examination of the hens. REFERENCES Adams, R. L., and John Tuite, 1976. Feeding Gibberella zeae damaged corn to laying hens. Poultry Sci. 55:1991-1993. Bacon, Charles W., and Henry L. Marks, 1976. Growth of broilers and quail fed Fusarium (Gibberella zeae) infected corn and Zearalenone (F-2). Poultry
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FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY Sci. 55:1531-1535. Harms, R. H., and O. E. Goff, 1957. The feeding value of different grades of yellow corn for broilers. Univ. of Tennessee Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 269:1-19. Leeson, S., and J. D. Summers, 1976. Effect of adverse growing conditions on corn maturity and feeding value for poultry. Poultry Sci. 55:588-593. Leeson, S., J. D. Summers and T. B. Daynard, 1977. The effect of kernel maturity at harvest as measured by moisture content, on the metabolizable energy value of corn. Poultry Sci. 56:154—156. Peck, Lyman, 1946. Feeding value of moldy grain. Feedstuffs, 46(26): 1 8 - 2 2 . Sanford, Paul E., and C. E. Deyoe, 1974. Performance of laying hens fed new crop field-sprouted and old crop nonsprouted sorghum grain. Poultry Sci.
185
53:1975. Speers, G. M., R. A. Meronuck, D. M. Barnes and C. J. Mirocha, 1971. Effect of feeding Fusarium Roseum F. Sp. graminearum contaminated corn and the mycotoxin F-2 on the growing chick and laying hen. Poultry Sci. 50:627—633. Speers, G. M., K. J. Mirocha, C. M. Christensen and J. C. Behrens, 1977. Effects on laying hens of feeding corn invaded by two species of Fusarium and pure T-2 mycotoxin. Poultry Sci. 56:98-102. Steel, R. G. D., and J. H. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, New York. Sunde, M. L., Muhammad G. Din and G. P. Holm, 1976. Feeding value of low bushel weight corn and propionic acid treated corn for broiler chicks. Feedstuffs, 48(15): 1 8 - 2 0 .
INTRODUCTION Unfavorable weather conditions during the harvest season can cause grains to mold and sprout. This usually results in lower bushel weight, reduced yield, and downgrading, all of which contribute to significantly lower economic returns to the grower. Weathered milo is often Sample Grade and typifies grain sorghum which contains a high percentage of damaged, broken and sprouted kernels as well as being covered with mold. Sunde et al. (1976) reported that low bushel weight corn (34 or 38 lb.) reduced the growth rate of chicks. Leeson and Summers (1976) found that low weight corn contained approximately 3% less metabolizable energy than standard grade corn. Leeson et al. (1977) also reported a 12 kcal./kg. decrease in the metabolizable energy value for immature corn for each 1% increase in moisture content. The adverse effect that high levels of aflatoxins and mycotoxins have on poultry, particularly those from Asperigillus sp. Flavus and the Fusarium group of molds, is well documented. Adams and Tuite (1976) reported that corn damaged by Gibberella could be harmful to broilers; however, work by Speers et al. (1971)
'Appeared as Technical Article No. 13441, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University.
indicated that feeding Fusarium contaminated corn to laying hens had little influence on performance. Bacon and Marks (1976) reported no detrimental effects on either quail or broilers which were fed corn infected with Fusarium (Gibberella zeae). Peck (1946) reported that feeding moldy corn decreased body weights of chicks slightly while field-damaged wheat and moldy corn had no adverse effects on hens. Speers et al. (1977) reported that feeding 16 p.p.m. T-2 toxin, and 25 and 50 p.p.m. monoacetoxyscirpenol reduced feed intake and egg production of laying hens. Harms and Goff (1957) reported that Sample Grade corn containing up to 30% cracked kernels, 5% weevil damaged, 10% moldy kernels, or 40% sprouts had no significant effect on body weight or feed conversion of broilers. While published reports indicate that deleterious effects can occur from feeding moldy corn, there is little published information on the effects of feeding sprouted and weatherdamaged grain sorghum. Sanford and Deyoe (1974) fed laying hens 90% field-sprouted milo as the sole grain source for layers and obtained an increase in egg production, egg weight and feed conversion. There are two factors influencing the quality of weathered grain: 1) nutritional problems associated with sprouted and damaged grain, and 2) toxic effects due to molds or fungi. The emphasis in this study was focused on the
180
FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY
181
TABLE 1 .—Proximate analysis of grain sorghum (milo)
Moisture Crude protein Crude fat Crude fiber Ash Gross energy, kcal./g.
No. 2 milo
Pioneer1 8303B
Elevator1 run milo
12.51 9.51 2.61 2.04 1.48 3.98
12.36 9.11 1.93 2.88 1.39 3.89
12.41 9.42 2.37 2.68 1.37 3.91
1 The following Fungi species were identified: Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus candidus, Alternaria species, Curvularia species, Periconia species, Cephalosporium species, Cladosporium species, Penicillium species, and Macropbomina species. Aflatoxins if present were less than 20 p.p.b.
nutritional aspects of the grain per se rather than on the effects of toxins which may have been produced by noxious fungi since no toxins in significant quantities were isolated from the grain used in these studies. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Two sources of weather-damaged milo were obtained. The first source, Pioneer 8303B milo, was used in the first chick experiment. It was Sample Grade, had a bushel weight of 42 lb., and was severely molded. The second source was from a commercial elevator, of unknown variety, graded No. 4, had a bushel weight of 53 lb. and was also molded. This material was fed in experiments two, three and four. These two sources of milo were the most severely weathered that could be obtained at the time. The grain sorghum was black in color due to molds and contained a high percentage of sprouted kernels; in excess of 50%, with approximately 10—20% broken kernels. The material when ground was very dusty and a darker color than the No. 2 Milo (U.S. Number 2 Yellow Sorghum) which was used as a control. A proximate analysis of the three grain sorghums fed is given in Table 1. An analysis of all milo samples indicated that aflatoxins were not present at detection levels (less than 10 p.p.b.). Four experiments were coducted utilizing broiler type chicks, turkey poults and commercial layers, since there was concern by all segments of the industry as to the effects from feeding weathered grain sorghum. Experiment 1. Three hundred day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 25 decks of standard 64 X 58 X 24 cm. electrically heated starting batteries. Five repli-
cates of 12 chicks each were fed grain sorghum-soybean meal type diets (Table 2) in which the grain portion was replaced with levels of 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100% weathered Pioneer 8303B milo. The diets contained calculated values of: 23% protein, 0.87% total sulfur amino acids, 1.0% calcium, 0.77% total phosphorus and 3,187 kcal M.E./kg. Feed and water were supplied ad lib. during the three week feeding period. Experiment 2. In experiment 2, 540 day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned and maintained for 21 days on diets similar to the diets fed in experiment 1. Three replications of 36 chicks each were housed in 3.0 X 3.0 m. floor pens and fed diets in which elevator run weathered milo (Sample Grade) was used to replace 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100% No. 2 Milo. In addition, a coccidiostat (3, 5-dichloro-2,6-dimethyl-4-pyridinol) was added at the recommended level of 0.0125%. Experiment 3. One hundred ninety-two sexed day-old Broad White Nicholas turkey poults were fed diets in which 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the grain (no. 2 Milo) was replaced with elevator run weathered milo. Three replications each containing eight males and eight females were fed ad lib. for six weeks in 2.4 X 3.0 m. concrete floor pens. The poults were injected with Gentamicin at one day of age, and were placed on a coccidiostat during this six week feeding period. Experiment 4. A laying hen experiment was conducted utilizing 368, 24-week old Hyline pullets, housed in single cages. Typical milosoybean layer diets in which 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the grain (no. 2 Milo) was replaced with elevator run weathered milo were fed for five 28-day periods. Values for hen-day produc-
ROWLAND ET AL.
182
TABLE 2.-Basal diets
Ingredient Milo Soybean meal (45%) Animal fat Alfalfa (17%) Dicalcium phosphate Defluorinated phosphate Vitamin mix 1 Oyster shell flour Salt DL-methionine Manganese oxide Zinc oxide Coccidiostat 2
Broiler diet
Turkey diet
Layer diet
48.3 5 40.36 7.62
35.36 55.00 4.60
64.50 23.00 3.50
4.00 2.22 0.50 0.44 0.25 0.21 0.025 0.025
Total
2.20 0.50 6.00 0.25
0.50 0.25 0.19 0.025 0.025 0.05
0.025 0.025
100.00
100.00
100.00
'Supplied per kilogram of finished feed: Broiler diet: 5,500 I.U. vitamin A; 1,650 I.U. vitamin D 3 ; 2.2 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite; 5.5 I.U. alpha-tocopherol acetate; 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 11 mg. D-calcium pantothenate; 27.5 mg. niacin; 50 mg. choline chloride; 13 meg. vitamin B, 2 . Turkey diet: 13,200 I.U. vitamin A;4,400 I.U. vitamin D 3 ; 11 I.U. dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate; 22 mg; vitamin B, 2 ; 616 mg. riboflavin; 33 mg. niacin; 17.6 mg. calcium d-pantothenate; 880 mg. choline chloride; 7 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite complex; 2.2 mg. folic acid; 11 mg. pyridoxine hydrochloride; 220 meg. biotin; 14 meg. vitamin B, 2 ;ethoxyquin 0.125%. Layer diet: 11,000 I.U. vitamin A; 3,300 I.C.U. vitamin D 3 ; 2.2 mg. menadione sodium bisulfite; 5.5 I.U. D-a-tocopherol acetate; 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 11 mg. D-calcium pantothenate; 27.5 mg. niacin; 50 mg. choline chloride; 13 meg. vitamin Bj 2 . 2
0.0125% l-(amino-2-n-propyl-5-pyrimidinylmethyl)-2-picolinium chloride hydrochloride.
tion, mortality, albumen height, and percent shell were obtained for each 28-day period of production. In addition, eight hens on each diet were sacrificed at the termination of the experiment and histopathological examinations of liver and kidney tissue were performed. Data for all experiments were subjected, where appropriate, to analysis of variance as described by Steel and Torrie (1960).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Experiments 1 and 2. Body weights and feed conversions at twenty-one days of age are shown in Table 3. No statistically significant differences in body weights or feed conversions were found between treatment groups in experiment 1 even though there was a slight numerical decrease in body weight when 50%
TABLE 3.—Twenty-one day broiler body weights and feed conversion (experiments 1 and 2) Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Treatment
Average body wts. (g-)
Feed conversion
UW Milo1 10% W Milo2 25% W Milo 50% W Milo 100% W Milo
539 545 540 525 521
1.43 1.41 1.38 1.40 1.44
1
Indicates non-weathered No. 2 milo.
2
Indicates weather damaged milo.
Average body wts. (g.) 325 315 317 321 314
183
FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY
and 100% of the grain was from the weathered source. Similarly no significant differences in feed conversion were obtained. Total mortality was less than 1% for all diets. In the second experiment, adverse weather conditions, unusually wet, cold, and windy weather, prevented optimum growth at the low bird density in the floor pens. Even though optimum growth was not obtained and the chicks were quite variable in size, there was no indication that weathered milo had any substantial effect on broiler growth under these stress conditions. There were no statistically significant differences between any of the diets when body weights were examined. Because of the poor growth performance, feed efficiency figures were not presented. As in experiment 1, mortality was less than 1% for all diets. Experiment 3. Data on the growth performance of turkeys are given in Table 4. There were no statistically significant differences between groups of turkeys when males and females were combined at six weeks of age, nor was there a significant treatment X sex interaction. However, the males fed 100% weathered milo were numerically heavier than the controls while the females were lighter. Feed conversions at six weeks were essentially the same for all four treatments. The turkey is considered to be more sensitive than chickens to aflatoxins, and since the mortality for all groups was low, the indications are that any toxins which may have been present were in very low concentrations. It was concluded that the weather-damaged milo fed had no apparent deleterious effect on growing turkeys to six weeks of age. Experiment 4. A summary of the data for the laying hen experiment is given in Table 5. During five, twenty-eight day feeding periods hens fed diets in which 33, 67 and 100% weathered milo was used to replace No. 2 Milo produced more eggs than those fed No. 2 Milo. This numerical increase in egg production approached statistical significance for the 33% weathered milo group. The limited quantity of weathered grain from the same source limited the number of hens and length of time feeding trials could be run. Egg weight, albumen height, and percent shell were similar for all groups, and mortality remained low during the five 28-day feeding periods. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney tissues revealed no damage due to toxins. The observations with laying hens in this
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study are similar to those obtained by Sanford and Deyoe (1974), who fed 90% field sprouted milo as the sole grain source to layers. They too concluded that field sprouted milo was equal in feeding value to commercial grade milo for egg production. Unlike their results, no significant differences were noted in egg weight and feed conversion in the current study. Certainly there was no detrimental effect on these traits. There are no comparable data in the literature on the effects of weathered grain sorghum on young broiler chicks and turkey poults. Harms and Goff (1957) fed Sample Grade corn to broiler chicks with no significant effect on body weight or feed conversion. No significant differences in growth, feed conversion or mortality in either broiler chicks or turkey poults were noted in this study using Sample Grade milo at varying levels in the diet. For a grain source to have a negative effect on performance, it may be essential that it have a significantly reduced energy level and/or be high in harmful mycotoxins. Sunde et al. (1976) reported that low weight corn reduced growth in chicks. Leeson and Summers (1976) reported that low weight corn contained 3% less metabolizable energy than standard corn. In the current study, the two samples of weathered grain sorghum had proximate analyses similar to that of no. 2 Milo, and one might not expect a drop in performance from feeding these milos. In this study, neither of the two samples of weathered milo produced obvious detrimental effects on performance. Thus it must be concluded, at least at this point, that grain sorghum may not be significantly altered nutritionally by weather damage.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. R. E. Lichtenwalner and Professor J, K. Riggs for supplying the milo used in these studies, Dr. R. E. Pettit for the identification of mold species and Dr. C. R. Hall for the histopathological examination of the hens. REFERENCES Adams, R. L., and John Tuite, 1976. Feeding Gibberella zeae damaged corn to laying hens. Poultry Sci. 55:1991-1993. Bacon, Charles W., and Henry L. Marks, 1976. Growth of broilers and quail fed Fusarium (Gibberella zeae) infected corn and Zearalenone (F-2). Poultry
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FEEDING VALUE OF WEATHERED MILO FOR POULTRY Sci. 55:1531-1535. Harms, R. H., and O. E. Goff, 1957. The feeding value of different grades of yellow corn for broilers. Univ. of Tennessee Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 269:1-19. Leeson, S., and J. D. Summers, 1976. Effect of adverse growing conditions on corn maturity and feeding value for poultry. Poultry Sci. 55:588-593. Leeson, S., J. D. Summers and T. B. Daynard, 1977. The effect of kernel maturity at harvest as measured by moisture content, on the metabolizable energy value of corn. Poultry Sci. 56:154—156. Peck, Lyman, 1946. Feeding value of moldy grain. Feedstuffs, 46(26): 1 8 - 2 2 . Sanford, Paul E., and C. E. Deyoe, 1974. Performance of laying hens fed new crop field-sprouted and old crop nonsprouted sorghum grain. Poultry Sci.
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53:1975. Speers, G. M., R. A. Meronuck, D. M. Barnes and C. J. Mirocha, 1971. Effect of feeding Fusarium Roseum F. Sp. graminearum contaminated corn and the mycotoxin F-2 on the growing chick and laying hen. Poultry Sci. 50:627—633. Speers, G. M., K. J. Mirocha, C. M. Christensen and J. C. Behrens, 1977. Effects on laying hens of feeding corn invaded by two species of Fusarium and pure T-2 mycotoxin. Poultry Sci. 56:98-102. Steel, R. G. D., and J. H. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, New York. Sunde, M. L., Muhammad G. Din and G. P. Holm, 1976. Feeding value of low bushel weight corn and propionic acid treated corn for broiler chicks. Feedstuffs, 48(15): 1 8 - 2 0 .