Influence of feeding time on sexual maturity and carcass composition in female broiler breeders
de Avila, VSPenz Jr., AMRosa, PSde Brum, PARGuidoni, ALLedur, MC
One thousand two hundred and ninety six Arbor Acres females and 144 males were used to study the influence of feeding time on sexual maturity and carcass composition. Treatments were: T1 = feeding at 6:30 am, T2 = 50% feeding at 6:30 am and 50% at 3:30 pm (dual), T3 = feeding at 11:00 am, T4 = feeding at 3:30 pm. Nutrition and management were as recommended to the commercial line. Variables studied were: sexual maturity at 5% production (SM), mean egg production percentage (PEP) body weight (BW), carcass composition, tibia weight (TIBW) and tibia calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents. Analysis of variance was used, and the means were compared using Student's t test. T2 females reached SM at 25.92 weeks, which was earlier (p 0.01) than the other treatments. PEP was greater (p 0.01) for T1 and T2 than for the other treatments. BW was greater in T1 and smaller in T4 (p 0.05) than in the other treatments. TIBW was greater in T3 than in T1 and T2 (p 0.05), with no effect (p>0.10) on carcass dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP) and ash (ASH). DM, EE, TIBW, Ca and P increased (p 0.05) whereas CP and ASH decreased with age. Time of feeding influenced body weight, but not carcass composition. Hens fed twice a day had earlier sexual maturity and similar egg production compared to those fed once at 6:30 am.
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