S. Maghsoud Lou, A. Golian, F. Eftekhar Shahroudi, M. Nassiri Mahallati, H. Kermanshahi,
Volume 7, Issue 3 (10-2003)
Abstract
An experiment with a 33 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 450 day-old broilers was conducted to study the effect of energy level and time of change from starter to finisher diets on performance and economic aspects of broilers. Broiler chickens were fed at three levels of dietary energy (2800, 3000, and 3200 KcalME/Kg) from 1-42 days of age. Starter and finisher diets were changed at 16, 21, and 26 days of age and then finisher diets were fed up to 42 days of age.
The effect of diet energy and changing time from starter to finisher diets on body weight and feed conversion at 26 days of age were significant (P<0.01). By increasing energy level and changing time from starter to finisher diets, at this age, body weight increased and feed conversion ratio decreased. Energy conversion decreased by decreasing the levels of energy content of diet and increasing time of change from starter to finisher diets (P<0.01). At 42 days of age, the effects of diet energy and changing time from starter to finisher diets did not show any significant effects on feed and energy conversion in contrast, body weight at this age increased significantly as a result of increasing time of change from starter to finisher diets (P<0.05). From 1-42 days of age, the interaction between diet energy and changing time from starter to finisher diets on feed and energy conversion was significant (P<0.05). The results from this study suggest that increasing diet energy and changing time from starter to finisher diets for producing broilers with less than 2 kg will improve their general performance.
F. Khajali,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (10-2005)
Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate the duration of time of feeding starter and finisher diets on live performance and carcass characteristics of female broilers. Starter diet was fed to 14 or 21 days of age. Finisher diet was fed beginning at 35 or 42 days up to 49 days of age. The results indicated that reduction of duration of feeding starter diet reduced weight gain (P<0.0071) and impaired feed conversion ratio (P<0.0002) up to 21d. Reduction of time of feeding starter diet caused a decrease in body weight at 21d (P<0.0071) whereas it had no effect on body weights at 42 and 49 days. Increasing time of feeding finisher diet caused a drop of the weight gain (P<0.0076) and impaired feed conversion ratio (P<0.0001) up to 42d but these differences were not significant up to 49d, suggesting a catch-up growth during 42 to 49d. There was no significant effect of dietary treatments on carcass characteristics at 49 days of age. Lowering time of feeding starter diet and increasing time of feeding finisher diet caused a significant decrease in pH, moisture and nitrogen contents of the litter.
