The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of moisture levels at harvest and drying temperatures of corn on its chemical composition and apparent metabolizable energy corrected to zero nitrogen retention (AMEn) to broiler chickens. The corn was harvested with 35%, 25%, 18%, 15.3% and 14.3% of moisture and submitted to drying temperatures of 100, 70 and 40 ºC. The moisture levels of 15.3% and 14.3% of corn were not submitted to drying and the last value represented the treatment […]

This investigation was carried out to study the feeding period influence on broilers performance, viscera development, and carcass composition. A total of 630 broiler chickens, Cobb-500â strain, were allocated in three feeding programs from 8th day to 50th day of life: ad libitum (AL – food available 24 hours), diurnal feeding (DF – food provided ad libitum from 7 am to 7 pm and fed restricted from 7 pm to 7 am) and nocturnal feeding (NF- food provided ad libitum […]

energy values (aparent metabolizable energy – AME and true metabolizable energy – TME) of soybean meal samples (1, 2, 3, 4, and texturized) and processed full fat soybean samples (Jet Sploder, toasted and micronized) were determined by using the traditional method of excreta collection with growing chickens and the forced feeding method, by using adult cockerels. In the first assay, the experimental diets were fed to four replicates with ten birds in each experimental unit and the basal diet fed […]

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary lysine levels and sex on breast yield and breast meat quality. Two thousand Ross day-old chicks were reared in a 2×2 randomized factorial design (two sex and two dietary lysine levels). Birds fed starter diets (1 – 21 days), growing (22 – 42 days) and finishing (42 – 49 days) with 100% of NRC (1994) lysine requirement, or 110% in the starter and growing and 120% in the finishing diets. […]

Two metabolism assays were carried out in order to evaluate the aparent metabolizable energy (AME) and true metabolizable energy (TME) values of 11 feedstuffs (corn and corn byproducts and of the millet samples) by using the traditional method of excreta collection with growing chickens and the forced feeding method, by using adult cockerels (Sibbald method). In the first assay, 540 male Hubbard chickens fed the experimental diets in four replicates with ten birds in each experimental unit and the basal […]

Two experiments were carried out to determine the ideal levels of crude protein (CP) for Ross broiler chickens from one to 21 and 22 to 42 days of age, of both sexes. The parameters evaluated were weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI), feed:gain ratio (F/G) and carcass evaluation (CV). In the starting phase (1 to 21 days of age), different protein levels (20.00; 20.50; 21.00; 21.50; 22.00 and 22.50%) were used in diets containing 1.27% total lysine. In growing phase […]

Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritional requirement of total lysine for Ross broiler chickens from one to 21 and 22 to 40 days of age, of both sexes. The parameters evaluated were weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and carcass evaluation. In each experiment, a completely randomized experimental design, in a 2 x 6 (two sexes and six dietary lysine levels) factorial arrangement with six replicates, using a total of 1440 birds, was used. The basal diets […]

Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritional requirement of total lysine for Hubbard and Ross broiler chickens of both sexes, from 22 to 40 and from 42 to 48 days of age. Weight gain, feed intake, feed:gain ratio, breast with bone yield, and breast meat yield were evaluated. In each period, a completely randomized block experiment design in a factorial 2 x 2 x 6 was used, with two sexes, two trademarks and six dietary lysine levels, with […]

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of environmental temperature and feeding restriction programs on performance, carcass and noble cuttings yields and fat, water and protein contents of the carcass, and also the liver glycogen content of broiler chickens under different environmental conditions. A completely randomized block experimental design, in a 5 x 2 (feeding program versus sex) factorial arrangement with two replicates within each environmental and 14 birds per experimental plot, was used. At 42 days […]

ABSTRACT – This experiment was carried out in two phases to study the effect of different heating systems on the productive and bioeconomical performances in broilers. Five hundred one-day broiler chicks, 50% male and 50% female, in each protected circle, were allotted to a randomized block design with seven treatments and four blocks. The heating systems were: fiber glass plate without plastic sheet cover, fiber glass plate with plastic sheet cover; built-in floor resistance without plastic sheet cover, built-in floor […]