Original scientific paper
INFLUENCE OF RESTRICTIVE FEEDING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS
Zlatko Janječić
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Stjepan Mužic
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Jasna Pintar
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Dalibor Bedeković
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Matija Kovačić
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of quantitative restrictions of feed mixture at different stages of life on the performance of broiler chickens. Eight¬ing male chickens Ross-21 of uniform mass at the age of seven days were used in the study and randomly divided into four groups. The control group of chickens (0) during the whole fattening period of 35 days were fed at libitum, the experimental group (1) were fed restrictively from 7th to 14th day, the experimental group (2) from 14th to 21st days, and the experimental group (3) from 7th to 21st days. After that period of restrictive feeding chickens were fed ad libitum to the end of the study. Restrictive feeding meant reduction of availability of feed mixture for chickens in the amount of 30% of the recommendations for chickens that age. All birds were weighed at the age of 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days. At the end of the study 5 chickens from each group was randomly chosen, sacrificed and trimmed. At the age of 35 days the average body mass of chickens were as follows: 2374, 2133, 2242 and 1888 grams. Feed conversion was 1.70, 1.62, 1.72 and 1.86. Carcass yield was 73.8, 72.5, 72.4 and 70.4%. The chickens from 1st and 2nd experimental group had less abdominal fat than other groups. Net income per group was 3.7, 3.4, 3.0 and 1.2 kunas per average chicken. Restrictive feeding of broiler chickens at an early age gave a slightly lower profit but the carcasses had less abdominal fat, so the ap¬propriateness of the restrictive feeding should be judged from two points of view: the usefulness for the farmer and slaughter value of fattened chickens.
Keywords
restrictive feeding; performance; broiler chickens
Hrčak ID:
124177
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2014.
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