Birds and management
Day old, commercial broiler chicks (240) were wing
banded and randomly distributed into 40 raised-floored
stainless steel battery brooder pens with 6 birds per pen.
The brooder temperature was maintained at 34±1°C up to 7
days of age and gradually reduced to 26±1°C by 21 days of
age after which, chicks were maintained at room
temperature (25-27°C). Uniform management and
vaccination schedules were followed for all the birds.