Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the effects of phase feeding on growth performance of broiler chicks. The experimental work consisted of a 7-week trial feeding, in which three different feeding programme. Three experimental diets formulated to contain different levels of metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP); namely a broiler starter diet containing approximately 3072 Kcal ME/kg and 23.9 crude protein, a grower diet containing 3118 Kcal ME/Kg and 21.8 crude protein, and a finisher diet containing 3200 Kcal ME/kg and 18 crude protein. The results diets not reveal any significant differences in productive parameters, but indicated marked trends in differences among the experimental treatment. These differences showed that the highest feed consumption and live weight gain were attained by the group of birds fed the starter diet throughout the experimental period. The starter diet followed by the finisher diet for four weeks resulted in the lowest total feed consumption, reasonably high body weight gain, lowest feed conversion ratio and highest dressing percentage. It can, however, be considered under the conditions of the present experiment that the three experimental feeding programmes supported similar productive performance of broiler, indicating a slight economic advantage of feeding the starter diet followed by the finisher diet. © Scienceline Publication.