Effect of Quantitative Feed Restriction during the Growing Period on Growth Performance and Economical Efficiency in Broiler Chickens
Volume 80, Issue 1 (2022): Veterinarija ir Zootechnika, pp. 28–34
Pub. online: 27 July 2022
Type: Research Article
Open Access
Open Access
Received
7 February 2022
7 February 2022
Revised
16 March 2022
16 March 2022
Accepted
12 April 2022
12 April 2022
Published
27 July 2022
27 July 2022
Abstract
Five hundred broilers chickens were used to study the effect of quantitative feed restriction during the growth period on the zootechnical performance and economical efficiency. Chickens were raised collectively during the starter period and a part of the growing period. At 24days of age, chickens were divided into three groups: control group, fed ad libitum, and two experimental groups (R1 and R2) restricted, respectively, to 10% and 20% of the daily feed intake of the control between 32 and 42 days of age. At 43 days, chickens of R1 and R2 were re-fed ad libitum until the end of the raising (49 days) where 13 randomly selected chickens from each group were slaughtered to record the weight of the heat carcass. Results showed that the average final live weight and the average heat carcass weight were
similar in the three groups. Restricted animals recovered, through compensatory growth, the weight to reach the level of the control group. Quantitative feed restriction allowed to save 641.1g and 1282.1g feed per chicken, respectively, in R1 and R2 groups. The quantitative feed restriction provides a significant economy in feed costs, a reduction in carcass cost price and, consequently, a significant improvement
in farmers income.