Pouya  Yari, Ali  Safarzadeh, Abolfazl  Zarei, Mohammadsadegh  Lotfipour, 
    Effects of Different Levels of Dietary Metabolisable Energy and Crude Protein on
Performance and Carcase Characteristics of Chukar Partridge (<i>Alectoris chukar</i>) During
Growing Period (8-16 week),
    Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,
    Volume 15,Issue 2,
    2016,
    Pages 5-9,
    ISSN 1680-5593,
    javaa.2016.5.9,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2016.5.9)
    Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the
effects of grower diet with differing Crude Protein (CP)
and Metabolisable Energy (ME) levels on the Body
Weight (BW), Live Weight Gain (LWG), Feed
Consumption (FC), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and
carcase characteristics of Chukar Partridge raised in
captivity. Chukar Partridges were fed on grower diets
containing 3 levels of CP (14, 16 and 18%) and 3 levels
of ME (2800, 3000 and 3200 Kcal kg<sup>&#150;1</sup>) from 8-16 weeks
of age. There were no significant effects of ME and CP on
BW and LWG at 16 weeks of age. The FC and FCR for
8-16 weeks period were not affected by dietary CP levels.
But the daily mean FC and FCR decreased when the ME
level of grower diet increased, the lowest FC and FCR
were in partridges fed on a diet containing 3200 Kcal kg<sup>&#150;1</sup>
ME. The carcase and breast+back weights of male
partridges affected by dietary ME levels, the lowest
carcase and breast+back weights of male partridges were
in groups fed on a diet containing 3000 Kcal kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> ME.
Weights of all carcase components of the male partridges
were greater than those of the carcase components of the
females. There were no significant interaction between
CP and ME levels on BW, LWG, FC, FCR and carcase
characteristics. It is concluded that the grower diet for
chukar partridge raised for meat production should
contain at least 14% CP and 2800 Kcal kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> ME.
    Keywords: Chukar partridge;metabolisable energy;crude protein;crude protein;feed consumption