Early-life food restriction of broiler chickens. I. Methods of application, amino acid supplementation and the age at which restrictions should commence. |
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| Authors: | G P Jones D J Farrell |
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| Institution: | Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. |
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| Abstract: | 1. Three experiments were performed to examine practical methods of early-life food restrictions and to examine the influence of increased dietary lysine or methionine on bodyweight recovery during re-alimentation in broiler chickens. 2. Food intake of broiler chicks was restricted quantitatively or by dietary dilution at 3 ages and the birds slaughtered at 49 d of age. The success of each food restriction was measured in terms of bodyweight recovery and body fat content. 3. Discontinuous food restriction and restriction by dietary dilution produced similar effects to a previously established food restriction regime. Bodyweight recovery was complete and fat contents depressed. FCR was inconsistently affected. 4. Supplementation of the finisher diet with lysine and/or methionine produced no conclusive results when this diet was fed to broilers previously subjected to early-life food restriction. |
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