Hatchery feeding of starter diets to broiler chicks

This study examined hatchery feeding of starter diets differing in amino acid density and moisture on live performance measurements up to 37 d and processing measurements at 38 d. Eggs from a Cobb x Cobb 500 slow-feathering cross broiler strain were set in a common incubator and hatched. Chicks were feather-sexed, placed in 36 chick trays (25 chicks of each sex), and weighed by tray. One of 4 dietary treatments was administered (454 g/tray) in crumble form: 1) no feed; 2) feed containing 1.24% digestible Lys, 0.84% digestible TSAA, 0.80% digestible Thr, 23.2% CP, and 3,080 kcal/kg of ME; 3) feed containing 1.45% digestible Lys, 0.94% digestible TSAA, 0.84% digestible Thr, 26.0% CP, and 3,080 kcal/kg of ME; and 4) treatment 3 plus 100 mL of potable water added to the crumbles 5 min before administration in the trays. Chicks received feed treatments in trays in the hatchery, during transportation to the research facility, and in the research facility until placement (5 h of total tray feeding). Body weight gain at d 7 was increased in birds fed the high density diet alone or in combination with water as compared with birds that were fasted. Subsequent live performance, processing, and small intestine weights, however, did not differ among treatments. Lack of 37-d improvements (average 4.6-lb birds) to early feed allocation may be a result of diet composition, duration of diet allocation, and the genetic strain of bird used, because much literature has pointed to the importance of posthatch nutrition of broilers.