Can sorghum be fed to broilers? This is a common question now that corn price has become almost prohibitive. The quick answer is yes. Broilers can thrive equally when fed diets based on corn or sorghum. But, as corn has its own problems – that are now so common that we forget them easily – sorghum feeding in broilers and other animals comes with its own set of qualifications.
Sorghum is a crop much more resistant to lack of water than corn, therefore sorghum is often raised in regions with a hot and dry climate and under limited water resources. The reason sorghum is more resistant to drought than corn is because its leaves and stem are covered with a waxy substance that limits water losses and permits growth under high temperatures. The pericarp of sorghum gives it its color and contains most of its anti-nutritional factors.
