The Journal "Agriculture and Forestry"
Časopis "Poljoprivreda i šumarstvo"
- Since 1955 -
Volume 60, Issue 1
| Volume : | 60 |
| Issue : | 1 |
| Authors : | Miljan VELJIĆ, Niko MILOŠEVIĆ, Dušica RADONJIĆ |
| Title : | EFFECTS OF LIGHT DURATION AND DIET DENSITY ON BROILERS' GROWTH PERFORMANCE |
| Abstract : | The experiment was conducted on Cobb 500 hybrid chickens for the period of up to 42 days. The setting had 4 treatments with 4 replications involving 80 chicks per treatment. In the Group A the lighting program was: I wk – 23L:1D and then onwards 18L:6D – standard; Group B lighting program: I wk – 23L:1D; II wk – 12L:12D; III wk – 14L:10D; IV wk – 16L:8D; V wk – 18L:6D; VI wk – 20L:4D. Group “a” feed with standard protein and energy contents chicks were fed with the starter mixture containing 21.22% CP and 12.3 MJ/kg ME to 14 days of age, grower with 20.2 CP and 15.5 MJ/kg ME to 35 days and finished with 18.6% CP and 12.7 MJ/kg ME until the end of the fattening period. Group “b” feed with increased protein and energy contents. Oil and soybean meal was added to the existing meal content in order to increase the protein and energy content in the starter mixture to 22.04 % CP, energy value of the meal to 12.78 MJ ME/kg, grower to 35 days 20.98 CP and 13.0 MJ ME/kg and finisher up to 42 days 19.39% CP and 13.24 MJ ME/kg. The ratio of energy and protein in the setting “a” and in the setting “b” was the same and amounted to 138 for the starter, 147 for the grower and 162 for the finisher. The tests show that the lighting program has a significant effect on body weight gain in all weeks of life. As the daylight duration grew in the second fattening period (3-6 weeks) the effect of light was annulled and it did not have an effect on average daily yield. The second parameter tested – diet density – had the opposite effect on body weight and daily yield. The treatments tested in this trial did not show a significant effect on mortality; feed efficiency, which is justified with a high intra-group variability and a small number of replications. The highest production index was determined in chicks grown under the lighting program 18L:6D, and with Axb interaction. |
| For citation : | Miljan VELJIĆ, Niko MILOŠEVIĆ, Dušica RADONJIĆ (2014): EFFECTS OF LIGHT DURATION AND DIET DENSITY ON BROILERS' GROWTH PERFORMANCE. Agriculture & Forestry, Vol. 60. Issue 1: 181-189, 2014, Podgorica |
| Keywords : | broilers, lighting, stocking density, performance |
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