Performance and carcass composition of broiler chickens submitted to different feeding periods

This investigation was carried out to study the feeding period influence on broilers performance, viscera development, and carcass composition. A total of 630 broiler chickens, Cobb-500(R) strain, were allocated in three feeding programs from 8(th) day to 50(th) day of life: ad libitum (AL - food available 24 hours), diurnal feeding (DF - food provided ad libitum from 7 am to 7 pin and fed restricted from 7 pin to 7 am) and nocturnal feeding (NF- food provided ad libitum from 7 pin to 7 am and fed restricted from 7 am to 7 pm). The water was provided adlibitum for all groups during experimental period. The feeding period (12 hours at nocturnal and diurnal) significantly decreased the broilers' final body weight. However, broilers fed at night showed lower feed intake and had better feed conversion index. The different feeding periods did not affect liver, gizzard, heart and intestine length development. Broilers fed for 12 hours during the night and during the day showed higher carcass fat content. Ash content was not affected by feeding program. The results suggested that the adaptation to feeding program was slow, thus, the broilers were not able to keep the feed consumption compatible with their development, with lower productive performance and higher carcass fat.