Influence of feeding time on sexual maturity and carcass composition in female broiler breeders

Abstract

One thousand two hundred and ninety six Arbor Acres females and 144 males were used to study the influence of feeding time on sexual maturity and carcass composition. Treatments were: T1 = feeding at 6:30 am, T2 = 50% feeding at 6:30 am and 50% at 3:30 pm (dual), T3 = feeding at 11:00 am, T4 = feeding at 3:30 pm. Nutrition and management were as recommended to the commercial line. Variables studied were: sexual maturity at 5% production (SM), mean egg production percentage (PEP) body weight (BW), carcass composition, tibia weight (TIBW) and tibia calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents. Analysis of variance was used, and the means were compared using Student's t test. T2 females reached SM at 25.92 weeks, which was earlier (p<0.01) than the other treatments. PEP was greater (p<0.01) for T1 and T2 than for the other treatments. BW was greater in T1 and smaller in T4 (p<0.05) than in the other treatments. TIBW was greater in T3 than in T1 and T2 (p<0.05), with no effect (p>0.10) on carcass dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP) and ash (ASH). DM, EE, TIBW, Ca and P increased (p<0.05) whereas CP and ASH decreased with age. Time of feeding influenced body weight, but not carcass composition. Hens fed twice a day had earlier sexual maturity and similar egg production compared to those fed once at 6:30 am

Effect of time, amount and frequency of feeding on total egg production, fertility and hatchability in broiler breeders

“…Our results are consistent with previous reports related to feeding regimens on reproductive performance. Those studies suggest that allocation of restricted feed two times a day improve reproductive performance in broiler breeder hens (de Avila et al 2003, Spradley et al 2008, Taherkhani et al 2010, Moradi et al 2013. In our study the best performance was achieved with 75 % of feed allowance at 16.00 and 25 % at 12.00.…”

“…However, the effect of feeding more than once a day is still controversy. Cave (1981) and De Avila et al (2003) did not found any significant difference in total egg production between broiler breeder hens fed either once or twice a day. Nevertheless, Spradley et al (2008) found that birds fed twice a day laid more eggs through 42 weeks of age than those fed once a day at the same age (P<0.05).…”

Effect of the Time of Feeding on the Reproductive and Productive Performance of Dandarawi Chicken Under the Prevailing Subtropical Climatic Conditions in Assiut

“…The mortality rate (MR) in the F and M of the T group was lower than those of the C group by 1.4, 1.7 and 1.6% and by 2.0, 1.2 and 1.6% from 4 to 24, 24 to 60 and 4 to 60 weeks of age, respectively. However, Avila et al (2003a) found that the MR was similar among the tested treatments. Birds in the first treatment were fed at 6:30 AM.…”

“…The adequate time all over the day for poultry feeding, especially in hot regions, could be considered as one of the most important factors that play an important role in the body thermoregulation of birds (Avila et al, 2003a;and Ashour, et al, 2004). The present work aimed to study the effect of changing the time of poultry feeding, in the summer, to be during the temperate climatic hours in stead of the hottest hours of the day on the productive and reproductive performance of birds.…”

Productive and Reproductive Performance of Japanese Quail as Affected by Time of Feed in Hot Climate

“…Exposing birds to high temperature during midnight (more than three hours/day for 8 weeks during the summer in Egypt) increased the mortality rate (Zeidan et al, 1997 andMarai et al, 2002). These results disagree with observations of Avila et al (2003b), who found that the mortality rate was similar among the tested treatments; Birds in the first treatment feeding was at 6:30 AM; In the second treatments, 50% feeding at 6:30 AM and 50% at 3:30 PM; In the third treatment, the feeding was at 11:00 AM; and 3:30 PM.…”