Abstract
Day-old male and female broilers obtained from commercial strain (Hubbard) were used in this study. At 7 days of age, all chicks were weighed individually (female 0.11 kg and male 0.12 kg in average) and divided into 5 group of 45 birds each group with no replicate in each treatment group as follows: 1. fed ad libitum; 2. fed 75% ad libitum; 3. fed 65% ad libitum; 4. fed 55% ad libitum; 5. fed 45% ad libitum. Chicks were restricted for 10 days (d 7 through 17) of a 56-day trial. Chicks were fed a commercial starter diet (crude protein (CP) 23.8% and metabolizable energy (ME) 3,070 kcal/kg) for 21 days, and commercial finisher diet (CP 20% and ME 3,160 kcal/kg) from 22 to 56 days of age. When chicks were feed-restricted at an early age, compensatory growth did not immediately occur following refeeding. Body weights of restricted chicks were not equal to the ad libitum chicks before 49 days of age. At 56 dyas of age, body weights of restricted chicks were heavier (p<0.01). Abdominal fat values of female chicks fed ad libitum was not significantly different from those fed 45% to 75% ad libitum. Carcass fat values of restricted female chicks were lower than those of control chicks when female chicks were fed either 55% or 45% ad libitum. Furthermore, feed efficiencies of restricted chicks were better. The response of chicks to early feed restriction might depend on the degree of feed restriction, and sex. Factors contributing carcass fat included energy loss, fat protein ratio of carcass, fatty acid synthesis in the liver and triglyceride content of the liver. The heavier body weights in the restricted chicks might be correlated with the lower growth rate during period of feed restriction.