Feeding Management

Three hundred day old chicks were divided into three feeding methods i.e., continuous feeding (CF, 24 hours feeding), intermittent feeding (IF, 1 hour feed and 3 hours off) and feed withdrawal (FW, no feed from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). Birds were fed a ration either without supplemented fat or with 3% supplemented fat. Temperature inside the experimental room ranges from 28.82 34.99°C, whereas, the relative humidity ranged from 62.32 82.54% during the experimental period. Birds kept under IF feeding system showed significantly lower weight gain, feed consumption, water consumption and better feed utilization than those of CF birds. Addition of fat in ration significantly reduced the body temperature, weight gain, feed intake and water consumption of the experimental birds than those fed ration without fat supplementation. Feeding systems significantly influenced the mineral retention in the plasma and meat of the birds. Birds kept under feed withdrawal system also showed slightly higher antibody titers than those of fed continuously. No mortality was observed in the birds kept under intermittent feeding system whereas 1.66% mortality was found in the birds.