An experiment was conducted to determine the response
or 7-day-old broiler chickens ·to ditferent feeding times in
a hot. humid tropical area where the prevalent mean
environmental temperature and relative humidity were
32 "C and 65 pCI' cent, respectively. The chicks were
randomly divided into three quadruplicate lots of 50 birds
each and were fed at various times for 7 weeks. Each
treatmcnt group of 200 birds was subjected to one of
three feeding regimens. namely 24-h access to feed with
the aid of artilicial light at night (control), access to feed
only at day time (from 06.00 to 18.00 h), 'and access to
feed only at night with the aid of artificial light (from
18.00 to 06.00 h). Birds which had 24-h access to feed
consumed signilicantly more feed compared with those
on the othcr treatnu:nts. Body weight gain of birds which
had 24-h access to feed was signiticantly higher at 56
days of age. lollowed by birds which had access to feed
only at night and only at daytime. However. efficiency
of teed use was poorest tor birds which had 24-h access to
fl.-ed. Mortality rates were intluenced significantly by the
lceding regimen. Carcass dressing percentage was greatest
for birds which had 24-h access to feed. However, the
relativc weights of the gizzard, liver, heart, and kidney
were unallected by the feeding regimen. Carcass chemical
composition was signiticantly intluenced by the various
feeding times.
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