Maize, broken rice and wheat are the major energy source being used in poultry diets. The energy contents in these grains are acertained according to the NRC (USA) or ARC (UK) recommendations. It was noticed by the nutritionists of poultry feed industry of the country that these assumptions does not coincide with our indigenous grains. The present study was designed to evaluate the energy contents of these main cereals through a biological trials.

For the study 240 day old chicks were perchased and randomely divided into six groups of 40 birds each and further subdivided into 4 replicate of 10 birds each. Six starter rations containing a conventional ration A (Maize+Rice+Wheat), Ration B (yellow maize), Ration C (broken rice), Ration D (wheat), Ration E (yellow maize+broken rice) and Ration F (wheat+broken rice) were formulated and fed from 0-28 days. All the diets were isonitrogenous (CP 220%) and isocaloric (ME 3000 kcal/kg). Similarly 6 finisher diets containing, a conventional finisher dietA1 (maize+rice+wheat) Ration B1 (maize), Ration C1 (broken rice), D1 (wheat), Ration E1 (rnaize+broken rice) and Ration F1 (wheat+broken rice) were formulated. Finisher diet was fed from 29- 40th days of age. Finisher diets were also isonitrogenous (CR 19.00) and isocaloric (ME 3100 kcallkg).

In the experiment it was assumed that ME value of wheat and broker rice is equal to that of yellow maize, i.e. 3400 kcal/kg.

At the end of experiment (40 days) for rations AA1 (conventional), RB1 (maize), CC, (rice), DD, (wheat), EE1 (maize+rice) and FF, (wheat+rice) average liveweight gain were 1651, 1708, 1900, 1723, 1844 and 1757 gms and feed efficiency ratio was 1.828, 1.845, 1723, 2.028, 1.67 and 1.862, respectively. The results indicated signilicant difference (P<0.01) among the groups in feed consumption weight gain (P<0.05) and feed efficiency (P<0.01). Rice containing ration (CC) was 6.6% more efficient than maize (BB1) whereas, wheat containing (DD1) was 9.9% less efficient that of maize (BB1) based ration. These variation may be due to difference in availability of metabolizable energy (ME) contents of these cereals. The results revealed that if the ME value of maize is 3400 kcal/kg in comparison of it ME value of rice and wheat may be 3624 kcal/kg and 3064 kcal/kg, respectively.

Economic analysis revealed that ration CC, (Rice) was the most efficient than other rations. The production of one kg liveweight for ration CC1(rice) is Rs.2.02 less, as compared to ration BB1 (maize based) and Rs.2.73 less as compared to ration DD1 (wheat) However the dressing percentage of the chicks was not different (P>0.50) among different groups.