Free-choice feeding of broilers at high temperatures

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Nutrition
• Avian Physiology

Background:

• Broiler nutrition is critical for growth and feed efficiency.
• Dietary strategies, including complete versus free-choice feeding, influence broiler performance.
• Environmental factors like high ambient temperatures can affect nutrient selection and intake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare broiler performance fed complete diets versus free-choice diets.
• To investigate the impact of metabolisable energy (ME) and amino acid:ME ratios on broiler performance under high temperatures.
• To determine nutrient selection patterns in broilers offered free-choice diets.

Main Methods:

• Broilers were fed either complete diets or free-choice diets containing cereal and protein components.
• Finisher diets with varying ME and amino acid:ME ratios were used.
• Experiments were conducted under high ambient temperatures (25–35°C).
• Broiler growth, feed intake, and food utilization efficiency were measured.

Main Results:

• Broilers fed complete diets to 21 days showed improved growth and feed utilization compared to free-choice groups.
• Under high temperatures, broilers on free-choice diets selected lower amino acid:ME intake ratios than those in complete diets.
• Performance differences between 22 and 44 days of age were primarily linked to metabolisable energy intake variations.

Conclusions:

• Complete diets promote better early broiler growth and feed efficiency.
• Broilers on free-choice diets adjust amino acid:ME intake under heat stress, but this may not optimize performance.
• Metabolisable energy, rather than amino acid intake, appears to be the primary driver of broiler performance differences in later growth stages under heat stress.