Structural equation models for slaughtering weight prediction for broilers

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of gut health parameters on the flock's final weight of broilers and to calculate an accurate equation to estimate this weight with information available at 7, 14, and 21 days, in field conditions. Gut health parameters (gizzard erosion, coccidiosis, feed passage, and redness, gut tone, consistency of content, and presence of mucus for each part of the small intestine [duodenum, jejunum, and ileum], and color, consistency, and presence of gas for caeca content) were evaluated at 7 and 14 days. Other parameters evaluated for impact on flock final weight were body weight and mortality, both at 7, 14, and 21 days; stocking density; litter reuse; and downtime period. Structural equation model evaluation of the data showed that stocking density and litter reuse did not affect (P > 0.05) flock final weight, while downtime period, body weight (14 and 21 days), and mortality (14 and 21 days) directly affected (P ≤ 0.05) the flock final weight. Gut health parameters did not directly affect the flock's final weight; however, they affected body weight and mortality at 14 days, thus showing an indirect effect on the flock's final weight. It was also possible to determine two accurate equations to estimate the flock's final weight using information available at both 14 (R² = 0.56) and 21 (R² = 0.77) days.