Many reports have illustrated the limitations of feed stuffs in meeting the mineral needs of poultry and other monogastric species. Many feed millers base their estimates of requirements on the NRC. However, the commercial feed industry has adjusted these levels based on their own 'gut feel' rather than on any scientific basis. So, when poultry feed is formulated on this basis, it may not fulfill the bird's nutritional requirement due to their tabulated values instead of actual, resulting in some nutritional disorder and many other related problems.

Therefore it becomes more imperative that we must have nutrient profile of our local feed stuff. The present study has been designed to ascertain mineral profile of the poultry feedstuffs (cotton seed meal, wheat bran, corn gluten meal 60% and corn gluten meal 30%) locally available to the industry and prepare a document on the basis of data analyzed which will be used as a ready reference through out the country. Evaluation of the minerals (Ca, Na, K, P) bioavailability of these ingredients and commercial broiler starter feed in broiler was also be determined. For this purpose poultry feed ingredients and commercial broiler starter feed were procured from a commercial feed mill. For bioavailability of minerals a total of 200 day old Hubbard broiler chicks were used and allocated to five (5) dietary treatments (A, B, C, D and E) in such a way that each treatment was replicated 4 times with 10 chicks in each replicate. Diet A was of corn- soybean meal. Diet B, C, D and E was contain cotton seed meal, wheat bran, corn gluten meal 60% and corn gluten meal 30 %, respectively. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using Analysis of Variance Technique. The difference among the treatment means was tested through Duncans's Multiple Range (DMR) Test.

The maximum Ca bioavailability was observed in group B (61.56±5.51%) which was commercial feed, followed by group C (46.30 ±4.29) containing cotton seed meal, E (41.61±8.05) containing corn gluten meal 60%, A (37.60±5.0) containing control(corn- soybean meal), D (35.12±9.20) which was wheat bran and F (22.3 1±8.04) containing corn gluten meal30%. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in bioavailability of Ca in group A between the groups B and F, respectively.

The maximum P bioavailability was observed in group A (58.48± 3.59) which was control feed, followed by group D (52.32±3.09) containing wheat bran, B (49.06±5.81) containing control feed, E (45.94±7.12) containing corn gluten meal 60%, C (40.45±4.55) which was cotton seed meal and F (38.68±8.3 1) containing corn gluten meal 30%. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in bioavailability of phosphorus in group A among the group B C, E and F, respectively.

The maximum Na bioavailability was observed in group B (77.50± 5.86) which was commercial feed, followed by group C (75.03±3.28) containing cotton seed meal, F (73.62±4.75) containing corn gluten meal 30% feed, D (73.10±4.5 1) containing wheat bran, A (65.05±7.16) which was control diet and E (58.40±7.34) containing corn gluten meal 60% respectively. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in bioavailability of Na in group A among the groups B, C, D, E and F respectively.

The maximum K bioavailability was observed in group A (94.17± 0.85) which was control feed, followed by group B (93.98±0.51) containing commercial feed, E (93.05±1.05) containing corn gluten meal 60% feed, D (91.62±0.84) containing wheat bran, F (90.69±0.69) which was corn gluten meal 60% feed and C (90.26±1.07) containing cotton seed meal respectively. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in bioavailability of K in group A among the groups C, D, E and F, respectively.