Abstract
The present study was conducted to study the effect of feed restriction prior to slaughter on carcass weight of male broiler chicks from 32 to 40 days of age. A total number of 180 (Pure line) male broiler chicks were taken randomly, labeled and divided into six groups. At 32 days of age, the experimental groups were put under the experimental feeding program. Group A fed ad libitum (control) while group B and C fed 120, 60 gm/bird/day for eight days, respectively. Group D and E fed 120, 60 gm/bird/day for four days respectively, followed by zero feeding for an extra 4 days. Group F deprived of food during the whole experimental period (8 days). The experimental diet was formulated to be approximately iso caloric-iso nitrogenous containing sorghum, groundnut cake, broiler concentrate, calcium, salt, lysine, methionine, and premix. The parameters taken were live body weight, feed intake, mortality, carcass, and non-carcass values. The effect of feed restriction program on male broiler chicks was not significant during the period from 32 to 34 days of age for parameters final live body weight, carcass weight, and dressing percentage, but net weight (gain or loss) was affected by feed restriction program and showed a significant difference (P 0.05) between experimental groups for dressing percentage during period from32 to 36 days of age. At the period from 32 to 38 days and the period from 32 to 40 days of age, all parameters were significantly affected by feed restriction program. It was concluded that carcass weight of broiler chickens can be controlled using different options of feed restriction programs according to the need of the market and the producer situation with special consideration to the economic return.
Highlights
The poultry meat production has become one of the most dynamic areas of animal production
The present study was conducted to study the effect of feed restriction prior to slaughter on carcass weight of male broiler chicks from 32 to 40 days of age
From 32 to 36 days of age male broilers subjected to feed restriction regimes showed the lowest reading for final live body weight, net weight and carcass weight and the difference were significant (P < 0.01)
Summary
The poultry meat production has become one of the most dynamic areas of animal production. One of the major problems that facing broiler meat marketing is the increased carcass weight of birds above 1100 - 1200 g (the marketable weight in Sudan). Feeding accounts about 70% of the cost of production, which can sometimes rise up to 80% [3] [4] and this high cost created the need to improve the efficiency of feed utilization. This experiment was designed to implement feed restriction programs in order to control the increase of carcass weight to be within the preferable market weight (1100 - 1200 g/bird) and to determine the economic impact of these programs
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