EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSING METHODS ON ANTI-NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF FINGER MILLET (Eleusine coracana) GRAIN AND ITS REPLACEMENT VALUE FOR MAIZE IN BROILER AND LAYER DIETS

This dissertation was composed of four experiments. In the first experiment, effects of different processing methods(roasting, boiling and germination) on proximate composition, some mineral and antinutrient contents of finger millet was evaluated. In the second and third experiments, the replacement effect of roasted finger millet grain for maize in starter and finisher broiler diets on feed intake, body weight, blood hematology, carcass parameters and meat chemical composition were evaluated. In the last (4th) experiment, replacement of maize by roasted finger millet grain in layers diet on feed intake, egg production and egg quality were assessed. The first experiment was carried out in 3x4 factorial design representing locations (Bako, Merawi and Arsi negele) and processing methods (raw, roasting, boiling and germination). Two hundred forty day old cob500 broiler chicks (second experiment) and one hundred eighty white leghorn layers (fourth experiment) were used. Treatment diets (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) were formulated to replace 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of maize by finger millet grain, respectively. The diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric to meet the requirements of broilers and layers. The experiments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Each replication consisted of 16 broilers for the second experiment and 12 layers for the fourth experiment. Dry matter intake (DMI), body weight change, egg production and quality were measured. At the end of the trial in the second experiment, 3 male and 3 female chickens in each replication were slaughtered for carcass evaluation. Meat chemical composition and blood hematological parameters such as packed cell volume (PCV), mean cell volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (MCHC), total protein (TP), hemoglobin (Hb) and red and white blood cell counts, differential white blood cell counts were assessed. All the processing methods employed significantly (P