TY  - JOUR
T1  - Response of Skip-a-Day Limit Fed Growing Pullets as Affected by Increased Micro-Nutrient Content in Diets under Semi Arid Swaziland
AU - , M.A. Isika 
JO  - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances
VL  - 7
IS  - 1
SP  - 11
EP  - 16
PY  - 2008
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1680-5593
DO  - javaa.2008.11.16
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2008.11.16
KW  - Limit-feeding
KW  -pullets
KW  -micro-nutrients
KW  -performance
KW  -feed-cost
KW  -Swaziland
AB  - The study investigated growth and feed-cost benefit of limit-fed growing pullets as affected by increased micro-nutrients content in diets. Grower diet (1) was used as a control. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 pullets were deprived of 10, 20 and 30% plain feed to appetite respectively, while treatments 5, 6 and 7 were on the same limit-feeding, but  with  25%  increased  micro-nutrients  content each. Four hundred and twenty, 9- week old Hi- line W-77 were randomly divided into 7 groups of 60 birds with 3 replicates per group. Birds were allowed one day <I>ad libitum</I> feeding for all the groups, followed by 2-day limit feeding. Results showed 30% plain feed limit-fed pullets to be significantly (p&lt;0.05) least in the final body mass, but birds on 10 and 30% diets with increased micro-nutrient were statistically comparable to those in the control. Daily mass gain was higher (p&lt;0.05) in the 10 and 20% limit-fed pullets with increased premix than other groups. Birds on the control diet significantly (p&lt;0.05) consumed  more  feed and the feed conversion was superior (p&lt;0.05) in the limit-fed pullets  with increased micro-nutrient  content. It was more expensive to produce kg/mass in the control and 10% plain feed limit-fed pullets. The study concluded that limit-feeding of 9-week old pullets containing 25% increased micro-nutrient in the diets has comparable response in growth performance with superior economic advantage even at 30% feed restriction. Further investigation to determine the optimal premix usage at what level of restriction, will provide added information.
ER  -