GROWTH PERFORMANCE, SOME BLOOD COMPONENTS, CARCASS TRAITS AND INTESTINE HISTOLOGY OF BROILER CHICKS AS AFFECTED BY STOCKING DENSITY

Abstract

The current investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of stocking density on growth performance, some blood parameters, carcass characteristics and intestine histology of Evian broiler chicks under Sharkia Governorate conditions. A total number of 234 unsexed one day old Evian broiler chicks were randomly distributed into three treatment groups in completely randomized design to evaluate the influence of three stocking densities (10, 13 and 16 birds /m2). The results of the present work could be summarized as follows: Stocking density significantly (P<0.05 and 0.01) changed body weight at 3 wks of age and daily weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio through 0-3 wks of age. Broilers kept at 10 birds /m2 showed the heaviest (P<0.01) body weight at 3 wks of age in comparison with the other groups. Birds reared at stocking density of 13 birds /m2 insignificantly gained more than the other densities during 3-6 and 0-6 wks of age. Broilers kept under stocking density of 10 birds /m2 recorded the lowest feed intake and showed the best feed conversion ratio when compared with their counterparts during 0-3 wks of age. All of blood parameters studied were insignificantly changed due to stocking densities used in the present study. Weights of carcass after evisceration, liver and intestine as percentages were significantly changed due to the different stocking densities used in the current study. Broilers kept at 16 birds /m2 had the highest (P<0.05) percentage of weight after evisceration and the lowest (P<0.05) percentages of liver and intestine in comparison with the other groups. Conclusively, it could be concluded that keeping Evian broilers at stocking density of 10 birds/ m2 gave the most acceptable performance under Sharkia Governorate conditions.