HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kamran, Z. Articles by Ahmed, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kamran, Z. Articles by Ahmed, S.

Effect of Low-Protein Diets Having Constant Energy-to-Protein Ratio on Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens from One to Thirty-Five Days of Age

Z. Kamran^*, M. Sarwar^*,1, M. Nisa^*, M. A. Nadeem, S. Mahmood, M. E. Babar and S. Ahmed

^* Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 38040; Animal Nutrition, Animal Science Institute, National Agriculture Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan 45500; Department of Poultry Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Department of Livestock Production, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan 54000

¹ Corresponding author: zkami79{at}gmail.com

A trial was conducted to determine the effect of low-protein diets with constant ME:CP ratio on performance and carcass characteristics of broilers from 1 to 35 d of age. Four experimental diets were formulated to have 4 levels of CP and ME, respectively, in each phase: 23, 22, 21, and 20% CP with 3,036, 2,904, 2,772, and 2,640 kcal/kg in the starter phase (1 to 10 d); 22, 21, 20, and 19% CP with 3,146, 3,003, 2,860, and 2,717 kcal/kg in the grower phase (11 to 26 d); and 20, 19, 18, and 17% CP with 3,100, 2,945, 2,790, and 2,635 kcal/kg in the finisher phase (27 to 35 d). Digestible Lys was maintained at 1.10, 1.02, and 0.90% of the diet in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively. A total of 1,760 one-day-old Hubbard broiler chickens were randomly divided into 16 experimental pens, 110 chickens in each pen, and each diet was offered to 4 replicates at random. Weight gain was linearly decreased (P < 0.001), whereas feed intake and feed conversion ratio were increased (P < 0.001) linearly as dietary protein and energy decreased during grower, finisher, and overall experimental periods. Protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency ratio were decreased (P < 0.05) with low-CP and low-ME diets during the grower, finisher, and overall experimental period. However, carcass yield, breast meat yield, thigh yield, abdominal fat, and relative liver and heart weights were not affected by the treatments. Feeding broiler chickens low-CP diets with constant ME:CP ratio has adversely affected the growth performance, but carcass parameters were unaffected without any increase in abdominal fat content.

Key Words: low-protein diet • energy:protein ratio • broiler performance • carcass characteristic • abdominal fat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. P. Zhao, J. L. Chen, G. P. Zhao, M. Q. Zheng, R. R. Jiang, and J. Wen Live performance, carcass composition, and blood metabolite responses to dietary nutrient density in two distinct broiler breeds of male chickens1 Poult. Sci., December 1, 2009; 88(12): 2575 - 2584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Zuidhof, M. Betti, D. R. Korver, F. I. L. Hernandez, B. L. Schneider, V. L. Carney, and R. A. Renema Omega-3-enriched broiler meat: 1. Optimization of a production system Poult. Sci., May 1, 2009; 88(5): 1108 - 1120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]