International Journal of Poultry Science 4 (5): 334-338, 2005 ISSN 1682-8356 © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2005 334 Maize-Sorghum Based Brewery By-Product as an Energy Substitute in Broiler Starter: Effect on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Organs and Muscle Growth Ayodeji O. Fasuyi Department of Animal Production and Health, University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria E-mail: dejifasuyi@yahoo.com Abstract: Maize-Sorghum brewers’ dried grains (MSBDG) is a by-product of beer production. Proximate composition studies were conducted as a prelude to MSBDG incorporation in broiler starter diet. Four broiler starter diets were formulated such that MSBDG were fed at 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels at the expense of maize. A batch of 240 starter-chicks was randomly assigned in triplicate to these dietary treatments. Each diet was fed to 60 birds/treatment from day old for 35 days. The final weight, average weight and Nitrogen retention of the chicks fed MSBDG at 10% and 20% dietary levels were similar to those fed the control diet; both being significantly (P = 0.05) higher that those fed diet 4 (30% dietary inclusion). The weight gain, average feed consumption as well as feed efficiency declined in diet 4 (at 30% inclusion level). At the end of the feeding trial, the chicks were sacrificed for carcass characteristics, relative organ and muscle measurements. The relative weights of the heart and belly fat were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. Among the muscles weighed, only the relative weight of Pectorialis thoracicus was significantly (P < 0.05) influenced. The weight of P. thoracicus was highest in chicks fed diet 2 (10% MSBDG inclusion level). It was concluded that MSBDG can act as an energy substitute for maize at inclusion levels of about 20% in broiler starter diets without any adverse effect on performance, carcass characteristics and muscle development in broiler chicks. Key words: Maize-sorghum brewers’ dried grains, beer production, carcass characteristics Introduction The high level of competition between man and livestock for available feed ingredients has posed a great concern to nutritionists over the years particularly in developing countries. The fact that feed alone accounts for up to 70- 80% of the recurrent production inputs in intensive monogastric animal production also makes the sourcing for alternative feed ingredients expedient (Ravindran and Blair, 1992; Fasuyi, 2005). The high cost of the conventional ingredients used in feed formulation contributes immensely to the high cost of the finished feed. This is a major obstacle to the expansion of the poultry industry in Nigeria and by extension most developing countries in the world (Ademosun, 1973; Obioha, 1976; Balogun, 1988; Tewe, 1988). Cereal grains always account for up to 50 percent and over in poultry feed formulation. In Nigeria, the most popularly incorporated cereal grain in feed formulation is maize where it supplies more than half of the metabolizable energy requirement of poultry. Although maize is a staple crop in Nigeria, it is also a seasonal crop where its growth is timed with the raining period of the year making year-round availability impossible. The high cost of maize as an energy source in feed formulation has generated a lot of controversy as to its economic justification. Beer production has been on the increase 1995). in Nigeria with the attendant shift in imported barley to local grains as the major raw material. Maize and sorghum thus became ready substitutes in the beer making industry. The use of maize and sorghum in beer making further exacerbated the scarcity of the cereal grains and thus its inclusion in feed formulation. Maize/sorghum-based brewers’ dried grains (MSBDG) is the extracted residue of maize and sorghum malt resulting from the manufacture of beer and contains small amounts of spent hop. It is produced in large quantity from the breweries. The objective of this research is to ascertain the level at which MSBDG can supplement for energy in practical diets for broiler starter chicks. Materials and Methods Collection of MSBDG: Maize/sorghum brewers’ dried grains (MSBDG) were obtained in the wet form from Nigeria Brewery Limited (NBL), Ife Road, Ibadan, South Western part of Nigeria. The MSBDG were obtained fresh after discharge and allowed to gradually dry in the sun for 3 days until the moisture content became 9.53% of dry matter. The MSBDG was then ground in a hammer mill. The MSBDG composition was 20% maize and 80% sorghum. Samples of the dried MSBDG were later analyzed for proximate chemical composition (AOAC,