Early broiler breeder feeding for more eggs

A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of three feeding times (only at 8am, dual [50% at 8am and 50% at 3pm] and at 3pm only) on the quality of broiler breeder eggs.

The experiment included 546 females and 63 males Cobb 500 broiler breeders from 28 to 40 weeks of age. The experimental design was completely randomised, with three treatments and seven groups of 26 females and three males.

The parameters evaluated were: total egg production, bacteriological contamination of the shell (count of mesophilic bacteria and total coliforms) and incubation parameters (hatchability, hatchability of fertile eggs, fertility, embryonic mortality and pipped eggs). Also bacterial contamination of eggshells was examined. To evaluate fertility and incubation parameters, 13 weekly incubations were performed.

It was found that total egg production was higher in birds fed at 8 am and fed twice daily than birds fed at 3 pm. Bacterial contamination was not different for the treatments.

Hatchability, fertility, contaminated and pipped eggs were not affected by different feeding schedules. Hatchability of fertile eggs was higher of the broiler breeders fed at 8 am than birds fed twice daily. Embryonic mortality of broiler breeders fed at 8 am was lowest. It can be concluded that broiler breeders fed at 3 pm produced less eggs and birds fed once in the morning have lower embryonic mortality.

Source: Angélica Londero and co-workers, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brasil, Proceedings of the 2014 International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA USA