Effect of starter and finisher feed replacement time on the performance of broiler chickens

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to find out the optimum time of broiler starter and finisher feed replacement on the growth performance, carcass quality and organ size of broiler chickens. The experiment was conducted at the Livestock farm of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Eastern University, Sri Lanka for a period of 42 days. A total of 120, unisex, Indian River strain, day-old broiler chicks were purchased and were allocated into four treatment groups with three replicates in a Complete Randomized Design, such as T 1 (Starter diet from 0 to 15 days and finisher diet from 16 to 42 days), T 2 (Starter diet from 0 to 18 days and finisher diet from 19 to 42 days), T 3 (Starter diet from 0 to 21 days and finisher diet from 22 to 42 days) and T 4 (Starter diet from 0 to 24 days and finisher diet from 25 to 42 days). The birds in the treatment T 2 recorded significantly highest body weight gain (2298 g) while the birds in the treatment T 3 recorded the lowest (2030 g). Increasing the starter diet period up to day 24 reduced the feed intake in the birds. The FCR of birds in treatment T 3 was significantly higher when compared to those in other treatments. The birds in treatment T 3 increased the dressing percentage in broiler chickens when compared to those of other treatments. The relative weights of gizzard, heart and liver were significantly lower in the birds of treatment T 4 when compared to others.