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

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.