Effects of Nutrient-Restriction at the Starter Phase on Growth Performance of Broilers at the Finisher Phase

Abstract

Eighty (80) day old broiler chicks of Anak strain were used in a 9 week feeding trial to investigate the effect of nutrient restriction at the starter phase on growth performance of broilers at the finisher phase. The birds were randomly distributed into two groups 1 and 2 using completely randomized design (CRD). Each group was replicated 4 times with 10 broiler chicks per replicate and each replicate housed in a pen measuring 1.5m x 2m. Broilers in group 1 were given standard broiler starter for 4weeks and finisher diets for the next 5 weeks while broilers in group 2 received a low-quality cheap-diet based mainly on palm-kernel cake and wheat offal for the first 4 weeks and then placed on standard finisher diet for the remaining 5 weeks of the finisher phase. Feed and water were offered ad-libitum. At the end of the trial, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in feed intake between the groups, but the group on the high fibre low-quality diet consumed significantly (p<0.05) more feed during the starter phase. Daily body weight gain of the birds on the low-quality diet (group 2) was lower than that of their counterparts (group 1) in the first 4 weeks, but remarkably increased as from the fifth week when the low quality diet was replaced with the standard diet. However, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the two groups in their final body weights. Feed cost of producing a broiler in group 2 at the end of the experiment was N692.3 as against N682.4 for a broiler in group 1. The results have shown that broilers subjected to nutrient restriction at the starter phase have the potential to catch up with those on regular feeding programme at the finisher phase but the system is not economically viable.