Effects of early feed restriction programs on production performance and hormone level in plasma of broiler chickens

Abstract

Age, duration and intensity of feed restriction of broiler chickens were studied by L₉(3⁴) orthogonal experiment. Broiler production performance and meat color were measured to evaluate the effects of feed restriction and explore the superior FR program. A total of 250 1-day-old Ross 308 chicks were selected and randomly allocated to ten groups, including one feed ad libitum (AL) group and nine feed restriction (FR) groups; each group had 5 pens with 5 chickens each. Broilers (T₅D₇I₉₀), feed-restricted to 90% from day 5 to day 11, had the highest body weight (BW), carcass weight, eviscerated weight, leg muscle weight and breast muscle weight, as well as muscle ratio. While broilers (T₅D₁₄I₇₀), feed-restricted to 70% from day 5 to day 18, had the lowest. Triiodothyronine (T₃) and growth hormone (GH) decreased while thyroxine (T₄) and the ratio of T₄/T₃ increased in FR broilers. Feed conversion ratio, abdominal fat ratio, whole eviscerated weight ratio and lightness (BoldItalic*) and yellow/blue (BoldItalic*) value of leg muscle color increased in FR broilers (BoldItalic>0.05). T₅D₁₄I₇₀ had the lowest red/green (BoldItalic*) color value of leg muscle and the highest BoldItalic* and BoldItalic* color values of breast muscle (BoldItalic>0.05). FR groups except T₁₀D₁₄I₉₀ had lower a* color value of breast muscle than AL. FR program of T₅D₇I₉₀ resulted in superior production performance and higher capability of meat production. Broilers feed-restricted T₅D₁₄I₇₀ were stunted with the lowest muscle growth capability and deteriorated in the breast muscle color. FR improved leg muscle color and increased broiler byproduct production. Lower T₃ and GH concentration and higher T₄/T₃ ratio in plasma were related with the increased feed conversion rate and fat deposition in FR broilers; however, they had no relation with meat production and growth rate.

Key words： feed restriction; broiler; production performance; meat color; hormone level

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Fund of Scientific and Technological Development Projects of Hebei Province (No. 07220401D-9).

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