Evaluation of locally available poultry feed resources and determination of their nutritional value in northern Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the major sources of poultry feed and their nutritional composition in northern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to determine the sample size, resulting in 320 respondents from different agroecologies. The main feeds were classified using a ranking index, and fourteen different feed resources were evaluated for their nutritional values using proper scientific procedures. Maize (Index, 0.31) in the highlands, (Index, 0.27) in the midlands, and sorghum (Index, 0.27) in the lowland were ranked first. Significant variations in the nutritive values of the investigated feeds were observed (p < 0.05). Metabolizable energy was higher in maize (3777.32 ± 62.2 Kcal/kg DM) and cafeteria waste (4570.5 ± 170.9 Kcal/kg DM). Crude protein was higher in sesame cake (35.7 ± 4.3%) and blood meal (89.1 ± 2.6%). Calcium was higher in cactus (18.07 ± 13.5 g/kg DM) and potassium was higher in noug seed cake (20.07 ± 7.57 g/kg DM). Non-conventional feeds have moderate nutritive value and can be utilized as replacements for costly imported conventional feeds. However, further investigation using animals is needed to validate the current findings and determine appropriate inclusion rates in poultry rations.