The sequential feeding of growing chickens

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Poultry Science
• Protein Metabolism

Background:

• Optimizing protein utilization is crucial for efficient animal growth and feed conversion.
• Complementary feeding strategies can enhance nutrient absorption and overall performance.
• Understanding amino acid dynamics in sequential feeding is key to improving poultry diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of alternate feeding schedules with complementary protein diets on young chickens.
• To compare the efficacy of different feeding durations (6h vs. 12h) and fasting periods on protein utilization.
• To determine if sequential feeding of fish meal and sunflower meal can improve net protein utilization (NPU) in poultry.

Main Methods:

• Young male chickens were fed isonitrogenous, isoenergetic diets based on fish meal, sunflower meal, or a combination.
• Experimental groups received diets via alternate feeding for 6 or 12-hour periods, with or without intervening fasting.
• Control groups were fed the same diets ad libitum for comparison.

Main Results:

• Sequential feeding, both 6h and 12h, significantly improved NPU compared to ad libitum feeding.
• Alternate feeding with 12h periods and fasting resulted in significantly higher NPU than ad libitum feeding.
• Food intake and body weight gain were generally reduced with alternate feeding, especially when fasting periods were included between single-protein diets.

Conclusions:

• Complementary protein sources can effectively be utilized through sequential feeding in poultry.
• Alternate feeding strategies, particularly with longer intervals, can enhance net protein utilization in chickens.
• Further research into optimal fasting durations is warranted to balance improved NPU with growth performance.