Sequential feeding can increase activity and improve gait score in meat-type chickens

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Nutrition
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Leg problems are a significant welfare concern in broiler production.
• Dietary lysine levels impact broiler growth and leg health.
• Feeding strategies can influence broiler behavior and physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of sequential feeding of alternating low- and high-lysine diets on broiler growth, gait score, and behavior.
• To determine if this feeding strategy can mitigate leg problems in broilers.

Main Methods:

• Broiler chicks were fed either a control diet or a sequential diet (low-lysine then normal-lysine) from day 2 to 12.
• All birds were fed a normal-lysine diet from day 13 to 21, followed by a grower diet until day 42.
• Growth, gait score (GS), and behavior were monitored throughout the study.

Main Results:

• Sequential feeding resulted in lighter body weights at days 13 and 42 compared to controls.
• Sequential feeding significantly improved leg condition (lower GS) at day 42.
• Sequential-fed birds exhibited altered feeding behavior, including reduced intake of low-lysine diets and increased litter pecking.

Conclusions:

• Sequential feeding of alternating lysine diets can enhance broiler leg health.
• Despite reduced growth, this strategy offers a potential method to decrease leg problems in commercial broiler flocks.
• Diet composition significantly influences broiler behavior, highlighting the importance of feeding strategies for animal welfare.