Effect of intermittent feeding and structural components on performance and digestive tract for broiler chickens

The experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effect of intermittent feeding combined with high structural components diet on performance, adaptability and gizzard of broiler chickens. Also, this paper was studied the effects of diet with enzymes supplementation on ileal viscosity and further on litter qualityAn experiment was conducted to study the effect of a diet with high structural component on the performance of ad lib and intermittently-fed broiler chickens; whether the supplemented enzymes had effect on ileal viscosity and litter quality. Broiler chicken were given, either ad lib or intermittently, barley-oat-wheat based experimental diet in whole grains and commercial maize-wheat based diet contain less fibrous content from 11 days of age, in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. For ad lib feeding, birds got access to feed constantly for 18 hours through continuous light and 6 hours darkness in two rooms. For intermittent feeding, in one room, feed was available for three 1-h feeding bouts plus one 2-h feeding bout per day. This was completed by frequently removal of feed and switching off the light at night, from day 7 to 14. From day 14 and onward, it was changed to 5 1-h feeding bout/day until the end of the experiment. Litter quality were scored at day 22. The empty gizzard weights recorded from intermittently and ad lib fed birds at 29 and 34 &35 days of age respectively. The ileal viscosity was also measured at day 34 &35. The structural component interacted on adaptability of broiler chickens to intermittent feeding indicated by higher feed intake of diet consisting of whole grains (barley, oat and wheat) than wheat-maize based diet. For the empty gizzard weights from intermittently fed birds there was no significant difference at day 29, however the gizzard weights differed from ad lib fed birds at the end of experiment. Furthermore, the reduction of ileal viscosity due to enzyme supplementation (Wang et al., 1992), has found in birds fed barley-oat-wheat based diet. In conclusion, broiler chickens quickly adapted to intermittent feeding through high structural component diets, without reduction of performance. With improved feed efficiency and enzyme supplementation, the ileal viscosity was not as high as when diet without enzymes (Classen, 1996)M-F