Responses of Semi-Scavenging F1 Crossbred (Rhode Island Red Male ×Fayoumi Female) Grower and Pre-Layer Chickens to Diets of Different Nutrient Density Formulated with Locally Available Feed Ingredients
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Manotosh Dhar; Sachchidananda D. Chowdhury; Md. A. Ali; Md. J. Khan; Md. A.H. Pramanik
- Source
- The Journal of Poultry Science, Vol 44, Iss 1, Pp 42-51 (2007)
- Subject
- crossbreds
nutrient density
grower
pre-layer
performance
Animal culture
SF1-1100
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1346-7395
1349-0486
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the birds’ responses to diets of varying nutrient concentrations, one with 126 eight-week old F1 crossbred (Rhode Island Red male×Fayoumi female) birds up to 20 weeks of age (growing stage) and another with ninety 20-week-old birds up to 22 weeks (pre-layer stage) under semi-scavenging condition in the poultry farm. Dietary treatments consisted of an arrangement of three diets that contained 14% crude protein (CP) and 2550kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg (low nutrient density ; LND), 15% CP and 2750kcal ME/kg (moderate nutrient density ; MND) and 16% CP and 2950kcal ME/kg (high nutrient density ; HND). The contents of CP, ME and calcium (Ca) in MND diet were fitted with the requirements calculated in this experiment based on five nutrient specifications in the world. All diets were formulated using locally available conventional feedstuffs and un-conventional feed ingredients employing a free software of computer program for least-cost feed formulation. The responses of grower birds to different diets showed that the highest body weight and live weight gain were achieved by the birds that received HND diet that differed significantly from those of LND diet (p