Effect of nutrition on broiler carcase composition: influence of dietary energy content in the starter and finisher phases.

Three isonitrogenous starter (230 g/kg) and three finisher diets (200 g/kg) were formulated to contain 10.78, 12.78 and 14.78 MJ AME/kg and fed to 1512 male and female broilers such that there were 9 treatment combinations. Birds fed the low-energy starter diet were significantly lighter (P less than 0.05) and their carcases contained proportionally less abdominal fat and total carcase fat at 24 d of age. This effect remained until 49 d of age irrespective of the finisher diet fed. The energy content of the finisher diet had no significant effect on bodyweight but the proportion of abdominal fat and total carcase fat deposited was lower for birds fed the low-energy finisher.