Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T14:13:59.517Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of meal-time feeding and protein restriction on walking ability and some bone and carcass properties in broilers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2008

Y. Konca ,
E. Yaylak  and
A. Önenç
Y. Konca*
Affiliation:
Ödemis Vocational Training School, Ege University, Turkey
E. Yaylak
Affiliation:
Ödemis Vocational Training School, Ege University, Turkey
A. Önenç
Affiliation:
Agricultural Faculty, Ege University, Izmir 35750, Turkey
*
E-mail: yusuf.konca@ege.edu.tr
Get access

Abstract

This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of meal-time feeding and protein restriction on performance, gait score (GS) and carcass and bone traits in broilers. A total of 420 1-day-old chicks were wing banded and randomly distributed into 21 pens with 20 chicks each. At 7 days of age, chicks were weighed and randomly assigned to one of the three treatments: (1) control (C) feed (23.02% crude protein (CP)) was available ad libitum; (2) meal-time feeding (MF); control feed was available from 0100 to 0900 h and from 1500 to 2300 h. Food was withdrawn from 0900 to 1500 h and whole wheat (10 g/bird per day) was dispersed on the floor from 7 to 21 days; and (3) low-protein (LP) diet (19.71% CP) was fed to the chicks from 7 to 21 days. All of the groups were fed ad libitum from 1 to 7 days of age and from 21 to 45 days of age with a standard commercial diet. Individual body weight was measured on days 7, 21 and 45. Feed consumption was measured from 7 to 21 days and from 21 to 45 days. Forty-two chicks were humanly slaughtered and eviscerated for bone evaluation, on days 21 and 45. Also carcass characteristics were determined on day 45. Control group body weight was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 21 and 45 days of age than the MF and LP groups, which did not differ. Feed intake was reduced by meal-time feeding and LP diet (P < 0.01). Feed efficiency was the best in the MF group during the period of 21 to 45 days of age (P < 0.01). In the control group, shank was significantly longer than that of the LP group and tibia breaking strength was higher than that of the MF group at 21 days (P < 0.05). However, shank width, tibia wet weight and tibia mid-diaphysis ash percentage of the MF group were significantly lower than those of the C and LP groups at 21 days of age (P < 0.05). GS, shank and carcass and tibia bone traits on day 45 were not significant among groups. No compensatory growth and walking ability improvement were observed at 45 days of age for broilers fed with MF and LP between 7 and 21 days of age.

Keywords

broilercarcassgait scoremeal feedingprotein
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 2 , Issue 9 , September 2008 , pp. 1324 - 1330
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bahtiyarca, Y, Konca, Y 1996. The effect of dietary calcium protein, lysine and methionine levels on the performance carcass weight and bone development in young Japanese quail (Rasyon kalsiyum, protein, lisin ve metiyonin seviyelerinin genç japon bıldırcınlarında performans, karkas ağırlığı ve kemik gelişimine etkisi). Selçuk Universitesi, Ziraat Fakultesi Dergisi 10, 87–99.Google Scholar
Ballay, M, Dunnington, EA, Gross, WB, Siegel, PB 1992. Restricted feeding and broiler performance: age at initiation and length of restriction. Poultry Science 71, 440–447.Google Scholar
Balog, JM, Bayyari, GR, Rath, NC, Huff, WE, Anthony, NB 1997. Effect of intermittent activity on broiler production parameters. Poultry Science 76, 6–12.Google Scholar
Bizeray, D, Estevez, I, Leterrier, C, Faure, JM 2002a. Influence of increased environmental complexity on leg condition, performance, and level of fearfulness in broilers. Poultry Science 81, 767–773.Google Scholar
Bizeray, D, Leterrier, C, Constantin, P, Picard, M, Faure, JM 2002b. Sequential feeding can increase activity and improve gait score in meat-type chickens. Poultry Science 81, 1798–1806.Google Scholar
Bonser, RHC, Casinos, A 2003. Regional variation in cortical bone properties from broiler fowl- a first look. British Poultry Science 44, 350–354.Google Scholar
Bruno, LDG, Furlan, RL, Malheiros, EB, Macari, M 2000. Influence of early quantitative food restriction at different environmental temperatures in broiler chickens. British Poultry Science 41, 389–394.Google Scholar
Cristofri, C, Melluzzi, A, Giordani, G, Sirri, F 1997. Early and late quantitative feed restriction of broilers. Effects on productive traits and carcass fatness. Archive für Geflügelkunde 61, 162–166.Google Scholar
de Jong, IC, Fillerup, M, Blokhuis, HJ 2005. Effect of scattered feeding and feeding twice a day during rearing on indicators of hunger and frustration in broiler breeders. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 92, 61–76.Google Scholar
Dozier, WA, Liens, RJ, Hess, JB, Bilgili, SF, Gordon, RW, Lasten, CP, Vieira, SL 2003. Effect of early skip a day feed removal on broiler live performance and carcass yield. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 11, 297–303.Google Scholar
Falcone, C, Mench, JA, Wakenell, P 2004. Can perches and platforms act the incidence of gait abnormalities in broiler chickens? Journal of Animal Science 82 (Suppl. 1), 362.Google Scholar
Faria Filho, DE, Rosa, PS, Vieira, BS, Macari, M, Furlan, RL 2005. Protein levels and environmental temperature effects on carcass characteristics, performance, and nitrogen excretion of broiler chickens from 7 to 21 days of age. Revista Brasileira de Cincia Avcola 7, 247–253.Google Scholar
Ferket, PR, Sell, JL 1989. Effect of severity of early protein restriction on large turkey toms. 1. Performance characteristics and leg weakness. Poultry Science 68, 676–686.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fetoui, H, Mahjoubi-Samet, A, Jammousi, K, Ellouze, F, Guermazi, F, Zeghal, N 2006. Energy restriction in pregnant and lactating rats lowers bone mass of their progeny. Nutrition Research 26, 421–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinrichs, C, Colli, M, Yanovski, JA, Laue, L, Gerstl, NA, Kramer, AD, Uyeda, JA, Baron, J 1997. Effects of fasting on the growth plate: systemic and local mechanisms. Endocrinology 138, 5359–5365.Google Scholar
Hester, PY, Suttan, A, Elkin, RG, Klingensmith, PM 1985. The effect of lighting, dietary aminoacids and litter on the incidence of leg abnormalities and performance of turkey toms. Poultry Science 64, 2062–2075.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hulan, HW, Proudfoot, FG, Ramey, D, Mcrae, KB 1980. Influence of genotype and diet on general performance and incidence of leg abnormalities of commercial broilers reared to roaster weight. Poultry Science 59, 748–757.Google Scholar
Hurwitz, S, Sklan, D, Talpaz, H, Plavnik, I 1998. The effect of dietary protein level on the lysine and arginine requirements of growing chickens. Poultry Science 77, 689–696.Google Scholar
Julian, RJ 1998. Rapid growth problems: ascites and skeletal deformities in broilers. Poultry Science 77, 1773–1780.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, KH, Leeson, S 2001. Performance of broilers fed limited quantities of feed or nutrients during seven to fourteen days of age. Poultry Science 80, 446–454.Google Scholar
Lippens, M, Room, G, De Groote, G, Decuypere, E 2000. Early and temporary quantitative food restriction of broiler chickens. 1. Effects on performance characteristics, mortality and meat quality. British Poultry Science 41, 343–354.Google Scholar
Lippens, M, Huyghebaert, H, De Groote, G 2002. The efficiency of nitrogen retention during compensatory growth of food-restricted broilers. British Poultry Science 43 (Suppl.), 669–676.Google Scholar
Morris MP 1993. National survey of leg problems. Broiler Industry. May 20–24.Google Scholar
Nielsen, BL, Litherland, M, Nøddegaard, F 2003. Effects of qualitative and quantitative feed restriction on the activity of broiler chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 83, 309–323.Google Scholar
Norgaard-Nielsen, G 1990. Bone strength of laying hens kept in an alternative system, compared with hens in cages and on deep-litter. British Poultry Science 31, 81–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Önenç, A, Kaya, A 2004. The effects of electrical stunning and percussive captive bolt stunning on meat quality of cattle processed by Turkish slaughter procedures. Meat Science 66, 809–815.Google Scholar
Palo, PE, Sell, JL, Piquer, FJ, Vilaseca, L, Soto-Salanova, MF 1995. Effect of early nutrient restriction on broiler chickens. 2. Performance and digestive enzyme activities. British Poultry Science 74, 1470–1483.Google Scholar
Rose, N, Constantin, P, Letterier, C 1996. Sex differences in bone growth of broiler chickens. Growth Development Aging 60, 49–59.Google Scholar
Rovee-Collier, C, Collier, G, Egert, K, Jackson, D 1993. Developmental consequences of diet and activity. Physiology and Behavior 53, 353–359.Google Scholar
Sanotra, GS, Lund, JD, Ersboll, AK, Petersen, JS, Vestergaard, KS 2001. Monitoring leg problems in broilers: a survey of commercial broiler production in Denmark. World’s Poultry Science Journal 57, 55–69.Google Scholar
SAS 1996. Statistical Analyses System, SAS User’s Guide: Statistics. 1996 ed. SAS Institute, Inc., Carry, NC.Google Scholar
Sorensen, P, Su, G, Kestin, SC 1999. The effect of photoperiod:scotoperiod on leg weakness in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 78, 336–342.Google Scholar
Su, G, Sorensen, P, Kestin, SC 1999. Meal feeding is more effective than early feed restriction at reducing the prevalence of leg weakness in broiler chickens. Poultry Science 78, 949–955.Google Scholar
Summers, JD, Shen, H, Leeson, S, Julian, RJ 1984. Influence of vitamin deficiency and level of dietary protein on the incidence of leg problems in broiler chicks. Poultry Science 63, 1115–1121.Google Scholar
Tesseraud, S, Larbier, M, Chagneau, AM, Geraert, PA 1992. Effect of dietary lysine on muscle protein turnover in growing chickens. Reproduction Nutrition Development 32, 163–171.Google Scholar
Venäläinen, E, Valaja, J, Jalava, T 2006. Effects of dietary metabolisable energy, calcium and phosphorus on bone mineralisation, leg weakness and performance of broiler chickens. British Poultry Science 47, 301–310.Google Scholar
Weeks, CA, Danbury, TD, Davies, HC, Hunt, P, Kestin, SC 2000. The behaviour of broiler chickens and its modification by lameness. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 67, 111–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yalçın, S, Settar, P, Dicle, O 1998. Influence of dietary protein and sex on walking ability and bone parameters of broilers. British Poultry Science 39, 251–256.Google Scholar