Table 1.
Main effect of time of introduction of feeds (post hatch) and strain on growth performance of broilers at 4 and 8 weeks.
| Parameter | Strain |
SEM | P Value | Time |
SEM | P Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | MS | 4 h | 24 h | 48 h | |||||
| 0 – 4 wks | |||||||||
| Initial weight (g/bird) | 42.25 | 39.36 | 0.37 | 0.000 | 40.71 | 40.96 | 40.75 | 0.45 | 0.916 |
| Final weight (g/bird) | 873.40 | 843.86 | 12.83 | 0.845 | 881.02 | 851.10 | 800.90 | 15.75 | 0.920 |
| Weight gain (g/bird) | 831.15 | 795.94 | 12.86 | 0.845 | 840.20 | 810.05 | 760.10 | 15.78 | 0.920 |
| Feed intake (g) | 1472.00 | 1365.00 | 17.12 | 0.504 | 1417.00 | 1347.00 | 1343.00 | 20.97 | 0.378 |
| FCR | 1.77 | 1.60 | 0.27 | 0.404 | 1.59 | 1.55 | 1.71 | 0.33 | 0.723 |
| 5 – 8 wks | |||||||||
| Final weight (g/bird) | 2218.30b | 2420.00a | 13.28 | 0.040 | 2402.00a | 2391.00a | 2133.00b | 16.26 | 0.024 |
| Weight gain (g/bird) | 1344.00 | 1576.14 | 16.28 | 0.834 | 1521.00 | 1540.00 | 1332.00 | 19.94 | 0.641 |
| Feed intake (g) | 3409.00 | 3811.00 | 47.07 | 0.142 | 3682.00 | 3605.00 | 3443.00 | 57.64 | 0.233 |
| FCR | 2.56 | 2.42 | 0.32 | 0.443 | 2.42 | 2.34 | 2.63 | 0.04 | 0.887 |
abcMean values in the same row having different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05).
Initial weight was used as covariate AA- Arbor acre MS- Marshal.
FCR: Feed conversion ratio PER: Protein efficiency ratio.