Effect Of Choice Feeding Research Articles

Effects of choice feeding and lower ambient temperature on feed intake, growth, foot health, and panting of fast- and slow-growing broiler strains.

Effects of lowering ambient temperature in the second half of the growth period were studied in 2 broiler strains with different genetic potential for growth (Ross from 1972 and 2004) when given ad libitum access or pre-mixed increasing proportion of whole wheat in their diet. A total of 48 groups of day-old broilers (n = 64) from the 2 strains were housed as hatched in 48 pens in 4 houses and slaughtered at 6 wk of age. Half of the groups had access to pelleted feed pre-mixed with increasing proportion of whole wheat, the other half had access to pelleted feed and whole wheat in separate troughs. Ambient temperature from 28 d of age was either 21 or 15°C. The fast-growing strain had greater (P < 0.001) live weight throughout (mean slaughter weights 2.6 (±0.014) kg and 1.0 (±0.006) kg). When given a choice, the fast-growing strain consumed a lower (P ≤ 0.004) proportion of whole wheat in their diet in weeks 5 and 6 (20 and 26 (±0.9) % whole wheat), and the slow-growing strain chose a higher (P < 0.001) wheat proportion (45 and 56 (±1.7) %) than the pre-mixed inclusion of 25 and 30%, respectively. The slow-growing strain grew slightly faster in the colder ambient temperature, and slower when given a free choice of whole wheat. Both strains drank more water per feed consumed in the warmer ambient temperature treatment. Foot pad dermatitis, only seen in the fast-growing birds, had a higher occurrence in the colder and in the choice feeding treatments. Gait scoring on day 34 showed perfect gait in more than 85% of the slow-growing and less than 1% of the fast-growing birds. Activity was higher and panting levels were lower in the slow-growing strain (P < 0.001) toward the end of the growth period, with no effect of the temperature treatment on panting. Slow-growing strains increase their energy intake, and fast-growing strains increase their protein intake when given a choice.

Effect of Choice Feeding in the Pre-weaning Period on the Growth Performance of Calves during the Pre- and Post-weaning Periods

Effect of Choice Feeding in the Pre-weaning Period on the Growth Performance of Calves during the Pre- and Post-weaning Periods

The effects of choice feeding and season on the feeding behaviour and growth performance of calves

The effects of choice feeding and season on the feeding behaviour and growth performance of calves

Effect of Choice Feeding on the Nutrient Intake and Performance of Broiler Ducks

Effect of Choice Feeding on the Nutrient Intake and Performance of Broiler Ducks

The effect of choice feeding during the rearing period on reproductive function in the gilt

Previous studies (e.g. Cia et al. 1998) have shown that modification of body composition of the prepubertal gilt has effects on responsiveness of gilts to exogenous gonadotrophin. Growing pigs are able to select a diet from different foods differing in protein:energy ratio (Dalby 1998); however there is little evidence of what effect the conflicting nutritional demands of growth and reproduction have on diet selection. The objectives of the experiment were to quantify the effects of choice feeding on responsiveness of gilts to exogenous gonadotrophin (Cia et al. 1998) and to investigate the effect of protein source on diet selection as Jones et al.(2000) have observed selection by breeding gilts against a high protein diet containing fishmeal.

Effect of choice feeding on the performance of broilers

1. Male broilers from 21 to 56 d of age were fed their diet either mixed as pellets or mash, or as separate ingredients presented on a free‐choice basis, to determine whether feeding method affected growth, carcase composition or profitability to 56 d of age. 2. The 12 treatments were: 2 completely balanced diets fed as mash or pellets, 8 choice fed diets containing maize or sorghum as the energy source (whole or mash) and protein concentrate (pellets or mash) and 2 unbalanced mixed mash diets containing 50% grain (maize or sorghum) plus 50% protein concentrate. 3. For the choice treatments, one food, grain (maize or sorghum) or protein concentrate (mash or pellets), was placed in each feeder. Broilers fed the complete pelleted or mash diet received the diet in both feeders. Food consumption was recorded weekly. Broilers were weighed at 42 and 56 d of age. 4. There were no significant differences between treatments and the pelleted control diet with regard to body weight, food consumed, food efficiency, carcase ash, dressing percentage and mortality. 5. Choice fed broilers receiving the energy source as whole grains had larger gizzards while the higher protein diets (50/50) resulted in a higher carcase moisture and protein but lower carcase fat than the broilers fed the pelleted control diet. 6. The main advantage of choice feeding appears to be the economical savings of feeding whole grains as the energy source.

Effects of choice feeding on the performance of village chicken after the peak of egg production

An experiment was carried out with village chicken at the laying stage raised on the semi-intensive system on three feeding treatments with each of 30 birds replicated three times. The three feeding treatments were: layer mash only, layer mash and corn as choices and choices of a high protein concentrate and corn. Feed and protein intake was significantly higher for birds on the layer mash and lower for birds on the choices of a high protein and corn diet. There was no differences in egg production for the birds fed the layer mash either alone or a choice with corn but lower for the birds on the choices of a high protein feed and corn. There was no differences in egg weight and gross efficiency for all treatments. The practice of choice feeding layer mash and corn could be adopted by farmers rearing village chicken under the semi-intensive system due to the lower cost.

Effects of choice feeding a completed feed and corn on the performance of broilers

Poultry feeding systems are likely to change for increased efficiency of production. An experiment was conducted to compare the response of broilers to choice feeding of corn with a standard broiler ration. The treatments consisted of providing broiler feed as the only feed (SINGLE FEED) and access to corn as a choice to a complete broiler feed (CHOICE FEEDING). Weights and feed consumption were obtained at weekly intervals. Samples at the conclusion of the experiment were taken to determine the weight of abdominal fat. Results showed that there was no significant difference in term of liveweight between the two feeding regimes. However, birds given a choice of the broiler feed and corn had better feed efficiency which is reflected by the lower total feed intake. Corn intake was 23.1% of total feed intake in the choice fed birds. In term of carcass colour, birds fed corn as a choice was observed to have a deeper yellow skin colour than the birds fed with broiler feed only.