Co-Authors:
Lozano, C., Instituto de Produccion Animal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apdo. 4579, Maracay 2101, Venezuela
De Basilio, V., Instituto de Produccion Animal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apdo. 4579, Maracay 2101, Venezuela
Oliveros, I., Instituto de Investigaciones Zootechnicas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Apdo. 4653, Maracay 2101, Venezuela
Alvarez, R., Instituto de Produccion Animal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apdo. 4579, Maracay 2101, Venezuela
Colina, I., Instituto de Produccion Animal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apdo. 4579, Maracay 2101, Venezuela
Bastianelli, D., Élevage et Médecine Vétérinaire, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
Yahav, S., Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, PO Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Picard, M., Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Station de Recherches Avicoles, 37380 Nouzilly, France
Abstract:
Feed withdrawal during the warmest part of the day (09:00 to 16:00 h) was compared with the distribution of ground corn and commercial feed consumed ad libitum by control broilers from 28 to 42 d exposed to tropical climatic conditions (averaged Ta = 25 °C; Relative Humidity (RH) = 72%). From 16:00 to 09:00 h, a continuous illumination was in the poultry shed and the chickens received a commercial diet. Each diet was supplied to 7 pens of 14 unsexed broilers. Both feed withdrawal and corn distribution during the day period reduced growth (P < 0.01) and deteriorated feed conversion (P < 0.01) compared to the ad libitum control. At the age of 41 d, the average body temperature (Tb) at 14:00 h in the control group was 42.56 °C. It was higher (P < 0.002) than that recorded in the corn fed group (42.27 °C) and the feed withdrawal chickens (42.11 °C). These effects measured in 4-6 week-old broilers exposed to a moderate tropical climate, illustrate the limitation of feed restriction and sequential feeding under practical conditions. Further research is needed to study the diurnal distribution of corn or feed withdrawal coupled with a balanced diet richer in essential amino acids than the commercial diet during the nocturnal period. © INRA, EDP Sciences, 2006.