TABLE 2.
Effects of heat stress on growth performance and carcass traits in indigenous broilers.
| Items | NT Group | HS Group | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth performance | |||
| 1–2 weeks | |||
| BWG, g | 293.00 ± 12.91 | 255.49 ± 14.56 | 0.070 |
| Feed intake, g | 1341.24 ± 27.19 | 1243.60 ± 53.51 | 0.124 |
| Feed/gain | 4.64 ± 0.18 | 4.91 ± 0.10 | 0.210 |
| 3–4 weeks | |||
| BWG, g | 292.50 ± 10.09 | 259.48 ± 10.86 | 0.039 |
| Feed intake, g | 1445.73 ± 30.50 | 1350.35 ± 42.23 | 0.084 |
| Feed/gain | 4.99 ± 0.17 | 5.24 ± 0.13 | 0.250 |
| Overall (1–4 weeks) | |||
| BWG, g | 585.45 ± 14.31 | 514.98 ± 22.44 | 0.016 |
| Feed intake, g | 2,786.77 ± 46.63 | 2,594.00 ± 92.03 | 0.078 |
| Feed/gain | 4.78 ± 0.12 | 5.06 ± 0.07 | 0.057 |
| Carcass traits, % | |||
| Abdominal fat | 1.22 ± 0.15 | 2.89 ± 0.22 | <0.001 |
| Breast muscle | 9.45 ± 0.62 | 8.52 ± 0.63 | 0.322 |
| Thigh muscle | 12.47 ± 0.51 | 8.37 ± 0.74 | 0.002 |
NT, normal treatment group, the broilers reared at 21.3 ± 1.2°C throughout the experimental period; HS, the broilers reared at 32.5 ± 1.4 °C for 8 h/day (9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.); BWG, body weight gain. There were 5 replicate cages (20 individuals) per group for determination of growth performance and 5 selected broilers per group for the determination of carcass traits.