Authors : S.A. Mirghelenj and A. Golian
Abstract: An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of feed form on performance, gastrointestinal development and carcass traits of broiler chickens. A total of 270 days old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to three dietary physical forms with six replicates of 15 birds each. The physical forms of diets including: mash and pelleted forms fed from 1-42 days of age, whereas the third treatment received crumbled and pelleted during 1-14 and 14-42 days of age, respectively. Feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, performance index and production number were significantly (p<0.05) improved in pelleted or crumblepellet diets fed birds over mash fed birds. The survivability was significantly (p<0.05) higher in mash fed birds, as compared with pelleted fed birds (94.9 vs. 88.1%), but not differed with crumble-pellet fed birds. Carcass yield, breast, thigh, liver, heart, pancreas and abdominal fat weights as a percentage of live body weight were not affected by physical form of diets. Gizzard and caeca weight as a percent of body weight, were significantly (p<0.05) heavier in mash fed birds, over pellet or crumble-pellet fed birds, whereas crop, proventriculus and small intestinal weights were similar in all birds.
S.A. Mirghelenj and A. Golian, 2009. Effects of Feed Form on Development of Digestive Tract, Performance and Carcass Traits of Broiler Chickens. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 1911-1915.