Effect of Male Broiler Breeder Feeding Programs on Growth, Reproductive Performance, and Broiler Progeny
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Date
2006-12-14
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Abstract
Four studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of different feeding programs during rearing and production on broiler breeder male growth, fertility, and progeny performance. In Experiment I, the effects of two levels (High and Low) of cumulative nutrient intake during the rearing period to photostimulation at 21 wk of age through different dietary formulations or feeding programs were evaluated. The High cumulative nutrition program supplied 33.5 Mcal ME and 1,730 g CP, while the Low cumulative nutrition program supplied 29.6 Mcal ME and 1,470 g CP. At 21 wk of age in Experiment I-2, males were classified into Heavy or Light BW groups. A cumulative nutrient intake during the rearing period of 29.6 Mcal ME and 1,470 g CP, regardless of diet or feeding program resulted in a male of adequate BW that was able to maintain good fertility throughout the production period and produce broilers with increased 42-d BW. In Experiment III, two levels of dietary CP (12% and 17%) and two feeding programs (Concave and Sigmoid) were evaluated during the rearing period to 26 wk of age. The Concave or 17% CP treatments were unable to sustain fertility after 40 wk of age without an increased allocation of feed. In Experiments II, two antioxidant levels and different source of selenium were evaluated during the production period. In Experiment IV different feeding programs from 16 to 26 wk of age and during the production period were evaluated. The data showed that feed allocation relative to BW affected fertility more than did antioxidant inclusion. Furthermore, slow and consistently increasing feed increments from 16 to 26 wk of age and during the production period improved fertility and favorably impacted progeny performance. In conclusion, when males failed in accumulate adequate nutrients during the rearing period or gain adequate BW, as an indication of ME allocation, after photostimulation fertility declined and significant negative effects were observed in progeny performance.
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photostimulation, antioxidant, broiler performance, fertility
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Degree
PhD
Discipline
Animal Science
Poultry Science
Poultry Science
