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Broiler incubation. 2. Interaction of incubation and brooding temperatures on broiler chick feed consumption and growth¹

N. Leksrisompong^*, H. Romero-Sanchez, P. W. Plumstead^*, K. E. Brannan^*, S. Yahav and J. Brake^*,2

^* Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7608; Grupo Grica, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Antioquia, AA 1226, Medellin, Colombia; and Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan, PO Box 6, Israel 50250

² Corresponding author: jbrake{at}ncsu.edu

The effect of either hot or cool brooding litter temperature on feed consumption, BW, and mortality of broiler chicks that had been exposed to either normal or high temperature during latter stages of incubation was studied in 2 experiments. The duration of experiments 1 and 2 was 14 and 21 d, respectively, with BW and feed consumption determined at 2, 5, 7, and 14 d of age in experiment 1 and at 7, 14, and 21 d of age in experiment 2. High incubator temperature after embryonic d 16 decreased chick feed consumption and BW at all ages in both experiments. Hot brooding litter temperature increased feed consumption at 2 and 5 d in experiment 1 and at 7 d in experiment 2 but decreased feed consumption at 14 and 21 d in experiment 2. Feed consumption was also influenced by the incubation temperature x brooding litter temperature interaction. From 0 to 2 d or 0 to 7 d in experiments 1 and 2, respectively, the highest to lowest feed consumption was exhibited by the normal-hot, high-hot, normal-cool, and high-cool interaction groups but the order changed to normal-cool, normal-hot high-cool, and high-hot from 7 to 14 and 14 to 21 d in experiment 2. Significant effects on mortality were observed in experiment 2 only where males exhibited greater mortality that was most evident in the combination of high temperature incubation followed by cool brooding. Excessive (high) eggshell temperature during the latter stages of incubation reduced feed consumption and BW through 21 d of age. However, the results showed that the hot brooding litter temperature supported increased feed consumption during the first few days of brooding even for the chicks that had been subjected to high incubation temperature. Hot brooding also reduced male mortality in experiment 2. Nonetheless, hot brooding litter temperatures should be limited as extending beyond a few days eventually decreased feed consumption.

Key Words: incubation • brooding • chick quality • feed consumption • livability

¹ The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement of the products mentioned nor criticism of similar products not mentioned.