Effects of food restriction during the finishing period on the performance of broiler chickens.
1. Three hundred 4-week-old commercial Hibrow broiler chicks were fed ad libitum, 85% and 70% of ad libitum or ad libitum for 5 d per week with 3rd and 5th days of food withdrawal for 28 d to examine the effects of food restriction on liveweight, growth rate, food conversion efficiency, dressing percentage, abdominal fat and mortality. 2. Quantitative food reduction to 85% and 70% of ad libitum, and reduction in feeding time by 2 d/week significantly reduced final body weight and rate of growth. 3. Food restriction (to 70% ad libitum) resulted in lower abdominal fat than ad libitum feeding, 15% food restriction or reduction in feeding time by 2 d/week. 4. There were no significant differences between the effects of 15% food restriction and 2-d reduction in feeding time per week on final body weight, growth rate and abdominal fat. 5. Reduction in feeding time by 2 d/week resulted in the same food efficiency as ad libitum feeding and quantitative food restriction by 15% and a significantly better food efficiency than 30% quantitative food reduction. 6. Reducing feeding time by 2 d/week seemed to have less severe effects on the birds than quantitatively reducing food supply by 30%.
Animal Production and Health Department, University of Swaziland, Luyengo, Swaziland.
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D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain