Table 4.
The overall effect of the alternative diet and feeding frequency on health-related measures and feather coverage of broiler breeders during rearing (mean ± SE).
| Control | Alternative | Graduated | 4/3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot lesions (%) | 4.6±0.9b | 12.5±2.1a | 6.2±1.3b | 5.4±1.4b |
| Hock burns (%) | 3.5±0.7 | 5.0±0.9 | 4.5±0.5 | 5.2±0.9 |
| Feather coverage score1 | 2.4±0.1a | 1.8±0.1b | 1.6±0.1b | 1.6±0.1b |
| Skin lesion (%) | 1.3±0.7 | 1.5±0.8 | 0.5±0.5 | 0.5±0.4 |
Control: daily control diet; alternative: daily alternative diet; graduated: graduated schedule control diet; 4/3: 4/3 schedule control diet.
a,bDifferent superscripts within a row indicate significant mean differences (P < 0.05).
1Feather coverage score out of 30, higher numbers denoting feather coverage loss and the presence of skin lesions.