Energy partitioning by broiler breeder hens in conventional daily-restricted feeding and precision feeding systems

An empirical linear mixed model was derived to describe metabolizable energy (ME) partitioning in broiler breeder hens. Its coefficients described ME used for total heat production (HP), growth (ADG), and egg mass (EM). A total of 480 Ross 308 hens were randomly and equally assigned to 2 treatments: precision feeding (PF) and conventional daily-restricted feeding (CON) from 23 to 34 wk of age. The PF system allowed birds to enter feeding stations voluntarily at any time, weighed them, and provided access to feed for 60 s if their BW was less than the breeder-recommended target BW. The CON birds were fed daily each morning. Energetic efficiency of hens was evaluated using residual feed intake (RFI), defined as the difference between observed and predicted ME intake (MEI). The energy partitioning model predicted (P < 0.05): MEI = A × BW0.67 + 1.75 × ADG + 0.75 × EM + ϵ. The coefficient A, a vector of age-specific HP, was 142 kcal/kg0.67/d; the energy requirement for growth and EM was 1.75 and 0.75 kcal/g, respectively. For the CON and the PF hens, respectively, MEI was 366 and 354 kcal/d (P = 0.006); RFI was -5.9 and 6.7 kcal/d (P = 0.009); HP% was 85.5 and 87.7 (P < 0.001); hen-day egg production (HDEP) was 65.5 and 55.2% (P < 0.001). Although the CON hens had higher MEI, the model predicted lower HP%; thus, CON hens had more nutrients available for egg production, increased egg production, and were more energetically efficient than the PF hens. The decreased egg production by the PF hens was likely due to these hens receiving production-related feed increases after an egg was laid. However, feed allocation increases for the CON hens resulted in increasing MEI for all CON hens at the same time. Therefore, the PF hens had lower MEI and lower HDEP than the CON hens.