Lott B D, Branton S L, May J D
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, South Central Poultry Research Laboratory, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA.
Avian Dis. 1996 Oct-Dec;40(4):788-91.
Light restriction was used to restrict growth of male broilers up to 41 days of age. Dietary energy and lysine were also investigated for their interaction with slowed growth rate. A total of 1440 male broilers was used in each of two trials. Light restriction significantly reduced body weights at 22 days (P < or = 0.05) but not at 52 days. Restricting early growth by photoperiod for the 3-to-41-day period reduced deaths due to ascites. Neither dietary energy nor lysine affected mortality from ascites. These results suggest that manipulation of photoperiod for young broilers is a useful way to limit early growth and subsequent ascites mortality.
