title: Early feed restriction in chicks: effect of age, duration, and sex.
abstract: Several regimens of feed restriction, calculated to support the maintenance of body weight without any allowance for growth, were applied beginning at the ages of 3 to 11 days for periods of 3 to 7 days using male and female broilers. In males, the 7-day feed restriction treatment resulted in improved feed efficiency on an age basis, or on a body weight basis after body weight had reached .7 to 1 kg. Feed restriction also resulted in a reduction in the amount of abdominal fat at the age of 54 to 59 days without any concomitant reduction in body weight. Within the range tested, 3 to 11 days of age, the initiation of the 7-day restriction treatment did not affect response. Similar responses were obtained in females, but with little benefit in feed efficiency when compared with ad libitum-fed birds on a body-weight basis. Also in females, reduction in 56-day body weight and loss of benefits derived from improved feed efficiency and reduced carcass fat could be avoided if the period of restriction was kept at 3 to 5 days.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Plavnik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors