Full Length Research Paper

Effect of dietary dilution of energy and nutrients during different growing periods on compensatory growth of Ross broilers

S. Tooci¹, M. Shivazad²*, N. Eila¹ and A. Zarei¹

¹Animal Science Department, Islamic Azad University, Karaj branch, Karaj, Iran.

²Animal Science Department, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: shivazad@ut.ac.ir. Tel: +989121150409. 

Fax: 982612246752.

Accepted 9 October, 2009

   Abstract

A completely randomized design was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary dilution of energy and nutrients during different growing periods on compensatory growth of Ross broilers. Four replicant pens were assigned per seven treatments. Chicks in each treatment received concentrated and diluted diets in different stages of growing periods (starter, grower and finisher). The diets were mainly based on maize and soybean meal and had constant ratio of metabolizable energy/nutrients. It was concluded that feed intake, feed conversion, production index, feed cost and metabolizable energy per weight gain of chicks receiving concentrated diets during all stages of growing periods were the same as the chicks receiving diluted diets during finisher period (P > 0.05). The amount of abdominal fat was significantly lower in chicks receiving diluted diets during finisher period (P ≤ 0.05). Mortality percentage in chicks receiving concentrated diets during all stages of growing periods was significantly more than other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Based on the results of the experiment, diluted diets for finisher period of Ross broilers male chicks is suggested.

Key words: Ross broilers, concentrated diets, diluted diets, compensatory growth.