Interaction effects between feed physical form and feed restriction on performance and carcass characteristics of broilers

الملخص EN

One hundred and ninety two, one day old Cobb broiler chicks were randomly distributed into eight treatments to evaluate the effect of feed physical form and feed restriction on body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, gain : feed ratio and carcass characteristics of broilers.

Birds were distributed into two diet forms (mash and pellets).

Both mash and pellet diet groups were subdivided into 4 treatments each (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, T6, T7, T8, respectively).

In the mash or pellets group, feed was offered to birds as following : T1, T5 : birds were fed ad libitum, T2 and T6 (feed removed from 12 : 00 to 18:00 h during a day), T3 and T7 (feed removed from 23:00 to 7 : 00 h during a day) and T4 and T8 (removed feed from 23 : 00 to 9 : 00 h during a day).

Feed restriction for 6 hour as in the present study resulted in a better gain : feed ratio without reducing carcass weights, and a significant benefit of feeding the mash diet over the pelleted diet was noted in terms of body weight gain, feed intake gain : feed ratio.

Based on these results, it can be concluded that restriction of feed for 6 hours of feeding mash diet increased body weight, body gain and significantly reduced gain : feed ratio but had no consistent effect on overall carcass traits.