Precision Feeding Enhances Broiler Growth Efficiency

Broiler chickens grow rapidly with nutrient requirements changing daily. However, broilers are fed 3-5 diet stages throughout their growth, meaning nutrients are under- and over-supplied throughout production (Kleyn, 2013). Thus, blending rations on a daily basis to meet the daily energy and lysine requirements may improve the efficiency and reduce the coefficient of variation (CV) in broiler flocks. Therefore, the present study evaluates precision feeding regimens for broiler chickens.

A total of 440 Cobb 500 chicks (mixed sex) were raised in floor pens and offered a common starter diet. At 11d post-hatch they were divided into 4 treatments (10 replicate pens per treatment; 11 birds per pen) on the basis of body weight. The treatments, starting at d11, consisted of; 1) a control 4-phase feeding regimen (starter 11−12d, grower 12−21d, finisher 21−35d, withdrawal 35−42d), 2) a precision feeding regimen where a protein and an energy concentrate were blended on a daily basis to match the daily energy and lysine requirement, 3) a precision feeding regimen starting at the same ratio of blends as treatment 2 but blends were adjusted weekly based on the bird’s weight, and 4) the starter, grower, finisher and withdrawal diets used in the control were blended to more closely meet the daily nutrient requirement and produce a gradual diet change. Chicks had unlimited access to feed and water, in an environmentally controlled facility, and lighting and temperature followed Cobb breeder guidelines. Diets were weighed, blended and distributed into individual pens using FEEDLogic precision feeding equipment kindly supplied by Feedworks Pty Ltd. Birds and feed were weighed on a weekly basis, and birds were weighed individually in order to calculate pen CV. There was no significant effect of dietary treatments on weekly weight gain and feed intake. However, precision feeding significantly (P< 0.001) improved FCR from 14 to 21 d post-hatch, where treatment 2 improved FCR by 13.8% (1.20 vs 1.40) and treatment 3 improved FCR by 13.6% (1.21 vs 1.40). Day 42 fat pad weights tended to be reduced with precision feeding; particularly the weekly adjusted precision feeding regimen (treatment 3) in comparison with control diets (8.7 vs 10.63 g/kg; P = 0.055). Body weight at day 42 was significantly (P< 0.044) greater for birds offered precision feeding diets (treatments 2 and 3) than the control 4-phase feeding regimen, by 5.7% (3381 vs 3197 g) and 7.2% (3428 vs 3197 g), respectively. Finally, the pen CV of birds offered precision feeding diets (treatments 2 and 3) was significantly (P< 0.019) lower by the end of the production cycle; both treatments producing similar outcomes and reducing pen CV by approximately 32% at 35 d and 33% at 42 d post-hatch.

In conclusion, precision feeding regimens improved FCR compared to birds offered 4- phase feeding regimens directly after large dietary changes, such as the swap from starter to grower feed. Thus it appears that sudden dietary change may compromise the performance and possibly the intestinal functions of young broiler chicks. Furthermore, precision feeding reduces the CV of birds and increases their weight at the end of grow-out, which may thereby lead to benefits and additional income during processing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thank you to Poultry Hub Australia for funding this project and Feedworks for providing the precision feeding equipment and their ongoing support.