Effects of dietary energy and protein dilution and time of feed replacement from starter to grower on broiler chickens performance

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary energy and protein dilution and time of feed replacement from starter to grower on performance of broilers with a 2×3 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 480 day-old broilers from 1-42 day of age. Experimental treatments were 5% energy and protein diluted diets and starter diet was fed to 7, 14 or 21 days and finisher diet was fed beginning at 35 days. Grower diet was fed for variable times depending upon termination of feeding starter diet and initiation of finisher diet. Dilution of both energy and protein had no (P>0.05) significant effect on chicks performance, but significantly (P<0.05) increased breast meat yield. Reduction the time of feeding starter diet did not show any significant effects on bird's performance. From 1-42 days of age, the interaction between dilution of both energy and protein and changing time from starter to grower diets on body weight and feed intake was not significant(P<0.05). The results from this study suggest that diluting of both energy and protein up to 5% from 1-42 days of age and decreasing the time of starter diet had no adverse effect on broiler chickens performance and it may be beneficial economically.