Growth, carcase composition and profitability of meat chickens given pellets, mash or free-choice diet

1. Equal numbers of 21-d-old male and female meat chickens were given their dietary ingredients either mixed and presented as pellets or mash, or as separate ingredients presented on a free-choice basis, to determine whether presentation method caused any differences in growth, carcase composition or profitability to 42 d of age. 2. The proportions of ingredients eaten by the chickens given a free choice varied widely during the first 56 h of the trial. Thereafter, the proportions did not vary widely and birds given the free choice ate approximately 1/2 of their intake as whole wheat, 1/3 of their intake as concentrate (high protein meals plus vitamin and mineral premixes), and 1/7 of their intake as whole sorghum each week for the three-week trial period. 3. The nutrient composition of the free-choice diet selected by the birds over the trial period averaged 12.09 MJ ME/kg feed, 210 g/kg crude protein, 14 g/kg calcium and 7 g/kg phosphorus. 4. At the end of the trial the average live body weights of the birds differed significantly according to method of feeding, in the descending order of pellets > mash > free choice. 5. The empty gizzard weight of birds differed significantly according to the method of feeding, in the descending order of free choice > mash > pellets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)