Abstract
This paper aimed to study the effect of tubular feeder height on performance, carcass traits and feed microbiological aspects of broilers from 28 to 42 days of age. Eight hundred and eighty female Ross broilers Ross were randomly allotted into 40 pens (replications) with 22 broilers each (11 birds/m²). Broilers were submited to two feeders height in two periods (28 to 35 days of age – high feeder (HF): superior edge 20cm height; low feeder (LF): superior edge 11cm height; 36 to 42 days of age – HF: superior edge 25cm height; LF: superior edge 11cm height). A completely randomized design was used and t test was utilized to compare the treatment averages. No significant differences for performance traits from 28 to 42 days of age were observed. Therefore, the recommendation for regulating feeder height to the birds’ back as in most of the poultry management guides does not seem to proceed. Birds fed in LF presented low percentage of intermuscular fat in the legs and high percentage of muscular tissue in leg quarters. Additionally, more wood shavings were found inside the feeders in LF than in HF at the end of trial, even though this variable did not influence negatively the microbiological quality of feed. KEYWORDS: Carcass, fat, feed, microbiology, muscular tissue.
Highlights
This paper aimed to study the effect of tubular feeder height on performance, carcass traits and feed microbiological aspects of broilers from 28 to 42 days of age
O. Nesting and dust bathing by hens in cages: Matching and mis-matching between behaviour and environment
Summary
Em aviário experimental, 880 frangos de corte fêmeas Ross divididos em quarenta boxes (repetições) com 22 aves cada (11 aves/m2). Foi utilizada uma densidade de 22 frangos por comedouro tipo tubular com prato de 42 cm de diâmetro e capacidade para 18kg de ração. Com a distribuição dos tratamentos às unidades experimentais, foi registrado o peso inicial das aves e realizada uma análise estatística, que mostrou não haver diferenças significativas entre o peso vivo das aves nos dois grupos testados (1325,02 kg vs 1325, 29 kg). Após jejum de seis horas, aos 42 dias de idade, foram abatidas duas aves representativas do peso médio de cada unidade experimental (totalizando oitenta aves) para avaliação do peso de carcaça, peso de coxa e sobrecoxa e gordura abdominal. De toda a ração que sobrou nos comedouros foi retirada uma amostra, sempre colhendo-se cinco pontos equidistantes dentro do prato, em cada box, para a realização de análise micológica.
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