Nutritional evaluation and utilisation of quality protein maize, Nityashree hybrid maize, and normal maize in broiler chickens

1. Three experiments were conducted to determine the apparent metabolisable energy, apparent digestible amino acid values, and utilisation of three maize varities in chickens: quality protein maize (QPM), hybrid maize Nityashree (HMN) and normal maize (NM). 2. There was no significant difference in the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) content amongst the three varieties of maize. 3. Lysine and threonine digestibilities were significantly higher in QPM compared to either HMN or NM. No difference in the digestibilities of other amino acids occurred among the three different maize varieties. 4. There was no difference between diets containing NM or HMN for body weight gain (21 and 40 d of age) and overall feed conversion ratio (0-40 d), but values were significantly higher for QPM (and Lys-supplemented NM) diets. The relative weights of dressed meat yield and giblets were unaffected by dietary replacement of NM with QPM, HMN, or Lys supplementation of the NM diet. However, abdominal fat content decreased and breast meat yield increased with both dietary replacement of NM with QPM and Lys supplementation of the NM diet. 5. The concentration of protein in serum was significantly increased by dietary replacement of NM with QPM. Adding Lys to the NM based diet significantly increased the Ca concentration in serum compared with NM or HMN diets. However, the highest concentration of Ca in serum was found in the QPM diet. The concentration of total cholesterol in serum significantly decreased by either replacing NM with QPM or adding Lys to the NM based diet, compared with the NM diet. 6. These results suggested that the feeding value of quality protein maize was superior to normal maize, while the feeding value of hybrid maize Nityashree was similar to that of normal maize.