Stocking density effects on male broilers grown to 1.8 kilograms of body weight

This study examined the effects of stocking density on live performance, physiological stress level indicators, and processing yields of male broilers grown to 1.8 kg. A total of 3,120 Ross x Ross 708 male chicks was placed into 32 floor pens (5.57 m2/pen). Stocking density treatments were 25, (75 b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Poultry science 2006-02, Vol.85 (2), p.344-351
Main Authors: Dozier, W.A. III, Thaxton, J.P, Purswell, J.L, Olanrewaju, H.A, Branton, S.L, Roush, W.B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
animal space requirements
animal stress
Animals
Body Weight
carcass yield
Chickens - growth & development
Eating
feed conversion
feed intake
Housing, Animal
litter (bedding)
liveweight gain
Male
Population Density
stocking rate
Stress, Physiological
Thermogenesis
water content
Weight Gain
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Summary:This study examined the effects of stocking density on live performance, physiological stress level indicators, and processing yields of male broilers grown to 1.8 kg. A total of 3,120 Ross x Ross 708 male chicks was placed into 32 floor pens (5.57 m2/pen). Stocking density treatments were 25, (75 birds/pen), 30 (90 birds/pen), 35 (105 birds/pen), and 40 (120 birds/pen) kg of BW/m2. The BW gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion were adversely affected with increasing stocking densities by 35 d. Physiological stress indicators (plasma corticosterone, glucose, cholesterol, total nitrites, and heterophil:lymphocyte) were not affected. Litter moisture was higher as stocking density increased, which led to higher footpad lesion scores. In parallel to growth responses, carcass weight was depressed by increasing stocking density, but carcass yield, absolute and relative amounts of abdominal fat, and carcass skin defects were not affected. Increasing stocking density decreased breast fillet weight and its relative yield and breast tender weight, but not breast tender yield. As calculated stocking density increased 5 kg of BW/m2 beyond 25 kg of BW/m2, final BW and breast fillet weight decreased by 41 and 12 g, respectively. We conclude that increasing stocking density beyond 30 kg of BW/m2 adversely affects growth responses and meat yield of broilers grown to 1.8 kg but does not alter physiological stress indicators.
ISSN:0032-5791
1525-3171
DOI:10.1093/ps/85.2.344