title: End-weight prediction in broiler growth.
abstract: 1. Two different methods, categorised as input-output and single output models, were evaluated for slaughter weight prediction of broiler chickens. The input-output models included linear and non-linear recursive modelling with a time-varying model structure, whereas the output models consisted only of empirical growth equations and several growth curve fitting techniques. 2. The results suggested that a simple linear growth curve fitting method gives the greatest accuracy in a prediction horizon of 4 d or less. Error is minimised to an average of 0.14% when 4 d of past information is used to fit a line to predict the end weight one day ahead.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agricultural Buildings Research, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. ozlem.cangar@student.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cangar
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aerts
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vranken
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berckmans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D012984:Software