Effects of Skip-A-DAY Feed Restriction on Production and Carcass Yield Characteristics of Koekoek Chicks
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The effect of feed restri ction on the production performances and carcass yield characteri stics of
Koekoek chicks was studied with the objective of determining to age, on body weight and egg
weight at the onset of lay, economic advantages and the effect of feed restriction on carcass yield
characteri sti cs. The experimental study was carried out at DZARC. Two hundred fourth day-old
chi cks were randomly di stributed in to 12 pens each with 20 chick's representing 4 feeding
treatments, representing of TI (unrestri cted), T2 (restricted at 7, 10, 13, 16, 19,22, 25 and 28
days), T3 (restricted at 35, 38, 4 1,44,47,50,53 and56 days) and T4 (restricted at 63 , 66, 69, 72,
75, 78, 81 and 84 days) of age. The experiment lasted for a period of (23) weeks. Feed intake and
body weight changes were monitored. At the end of the experimental period, six pullets from
each treatment were randomly selected and slaughtered to evaluate carcass yield, weights and
lengths of different parts of gastrointestinal tracts and reproductive organs. The daily and total
feed consumption, total DM intake and daily CP intake of chicks had a significant difference.
Feed restriction had a signifi cant effect on body weight and body weight gain at the end of
feeding starter feed. Age at onset of first laying, shell thi ckness, albumen height, yo lk color and
haugh unit score did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between feed restricted and unrestricted
groups. The yolk di ameter had significa nt di ffe rence between the treatment groups. The effect of
feed restriction on the slaughter weight and dressing weight were not significant (p>0.05). The
eviscerated carcass yield weight with abdominal fat and the abdominal fat weight and percentage
showed significant (P<O.05) di fference among treatments. Among the parameters from the length
and weight of the GIT, only duodenum empty weight (p<0.05) showed, significant differences.
Neither the weight nor the percentage of edible offals had a significance association with feed
restriction. The weight of white follicles; and the absolute weight and relative weight of
infundibulum, magnum and isthmus were significantly (p<0.05) different between treatments.
Feed restri ction is significantly (p<0.05) associated with the production costs among treatment. In
conclusion, feed restricti on at a later stage (T4) of rearing period decreases the amount of feed by
consumed without affect ing the AOEL, body weight at the AOEL, egg weight and carcass
weight. Therefore, commercial egg producers are advised to restrict chi cksat the age of latter
stage (T4).
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Keywords
production performances