Influence of Feeding Schedules on Growth Efficiency and Feed Conversion in Broilers

Introduction

The poultry industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in India, contributing significantly to nutritional security and rural income (Kleyn & Ciacciariello, 2021; Mallick et al., 2020) [10,11] . Broilers are bred for rapid growth and high feed efficiency, but ad libitum feeding can lead to excessive fat deposition, metabolic disorders, and inefficient feed utilization (Pasternak & Shalev, 1983; Khurshid et al., 2019) [12,9] . Optimizing feeding schedules-such as frequency and timing-can enhance nutrient absorption, enzyme activity, and overall growth efficiency (Ferket & Gernat, 2006; Santos & Patel, 2023) [8,14] . Feeding frequency also affects metabolic and behavioural responses, influencing gut development, enzyme secretion, and nutrient retention (Abd El-Hack et al., 2022) [1] . Limited research in Indian conditions necessitates further study to refine feeding strategies for commercial broilers. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different feeding frequencies on growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and hematobiochemical parameters in broiler chickens.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted on 96 (day-old) Vencobb-400 broiler chicks, randomly allotted to four treatments (T 1 -T 4 ) with three replicates of eight birds each.  T1: once daily (06:30 h)  T2: twice daily (06:30, 18:30 h)  T3: thrice daily (06:30, 12:30, 18:30 h)  T4: four times daily (06:30, 10:30, 14:30, 18:30 h). All groups received equal daily feed quantities. Pre-starter, starter, and finisher diets were formulated according to BIS (2007) nutrient specifications. Standard management and vaccination protocols were followed for Newcastle Disease (ND) and Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD). Weekly body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality were recorded up to 42 days. Carcass parameters (dressing%, eviscerated yield%, giblet weight) were measured at the end of the experiment. Blood samples were collected for hematological (Hb, PCV) and biochemical (glucose, cholesterol, AST) analysis following standard procedures (Coles, 1986; Doumas et al., 1997) [5,6] . Statistical analysis was carried out using one-way ANOVA, and means were compared by Duncan's multiple range test using SPSS v.22. Significance was accepted at P < 0.05 (Farghly et al., 2019; Salem et al., 2023) [7,13] .

Results

The effect of feeding frequency on growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass traits, and hematobiochemical parameters of broiler chickens is presented in Tables 123.

Growth Performance and Feed Efficiency

Cumulative feed intake differed significantly (p < 0.05) among treatments (Table 1). Birds fed once daily (T 1 ) recorded the highest cumulative feed intake (3963.95 g/bird), which was significantly higher than those fed twice (T 2 ), thrice (T 3 ), or four times daily (T 4 ). However, no significant differences were observed among T 2 , T 3 , and T 4 . Body weight gain was numerically highest in birds fed thrice daily (T 3 ; 2369.64 g), followed by T 4 (2350.23 g) and T 2 (2268.85 g), while the lowest body weight gain was observed in T 1 (2170.86 g). Although differences in body weight gain were not statistically significant, a clear positive trend was observed with increased feeding frequency.

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by feeding frequency. Birds in T 1 exhibited the poorest FCR (1.83), whereas significantly improved FCR was recorded in T 2 (1.71), T 3 (1.62), and T 4 (1.64), with the best feed efficiency observed in birds fed thrice daily.

Carcass Characteristics

The effect of feeding frequency on carcass characteristics is presented in Table 2. Dressing percentage did not differ significantly among treatments and ranged from 68.50 to 69.56%. Eviscerated yield was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in birds fed thrice daily (T 3 ; 67.52%) compared to T 1 , T 2 , and T 4 , which were statistically similar to each other. Giblet weight was numerically highest in T 3 (106.33 g), followed by T 4 (101.66 g) and T 2 (100.66 g), while the lowest value was recorded in T 1 (97.67 g); however, these differences were not statistically significant.

Hematological and Biochemical Parameters

Hematological and serum biochemical parameters were not significantly affected by feeding frequency (Table 3). Hemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume (PCV) values remained comparable across all treatments, indicating normal physiological status of the birds. Serum glucose, cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels did not differ significantly among treatments and were within the normal reference range for broiler chickens, suggesting that variation in feeding frequency had no adverse effect on metabolic health.

Discussion

The results of the present study clearly demonstrate that moderate feeding frequency, particularly two or three meals per day, enhances growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens. Improved body weight gain and FCR observed in T 2 and T 3 groups may be attributed to better synchronization between nutrient availability and metabolic demand, leading to enhanced nutrient digestibility and utilization (Ferket and Gernat, 2006; Santos and Patel, 2023) [8, 14] . Frequent but controlled feeding prevents excessive gut fill and metabolic overload, thereby improving digestive enzyme activity and nutrient absorption (Barash et al., 1993; Abd El-Hack et al., 2022) [1,3] . Similar improvements in feed efficiency with optimized feeding intervals have been reported by Farghly et al. (2019) [7] . The absence of significant differences in carcass traits among treatments suggests that feeding frequency primarily influences metabolic efficiency rather than carcass composition, in agreement with earlier reports (Adikari et al., 2018; Salem et al., 2023) [1,2] . The numerically lower abdominal fat content in birds fed thrice daily indicates improved partitioning of nutrients towards lean tissue accretion. Stable hematological and biochemical profiles across treatments further confirm that increasing feeding frequency up to three times daily does not impose physiological stress or compromise bird health.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that feeding broiler chickens two or three times daily significantly improves growth performance and feed conversion efficiency without adversely affecting carcass characteristics or hematobiochemical parameters. Feeding four times daily did not offer additional benefits, whereas once-daily feeding resulted in inferior performance. Therefore, a feeding frequency of two to three meals per day is recommended for efficient and sustainable broiler production.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementsThe authors are thankful to the Dean, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Navania, Vallabhnagar, Udaipur for providing the necessary facilities and financial support to carry out this research work.

References

1. Abd El-Hack ME, El-Saadony MT, Salem HM, ElTahan AM, Soliman MM, Youssef GBA, et al. Alternatives to antibiotics for organic poultry production: types, modes of action and impacts on bird's health and production. Poult Sci. 2022;101(4):101696.
2. Adikari A, Nandasena W, Nayananjalie W, Jayathilaka B. Effects of feeding frequency on fat deposition and growth performance in broiler chickens. Int J Livest Res. 2018;8(9):62-72.
3. Barash I, Nitsan Z, Nir I. Adaptation of chicks to meal feeding: gastrointestinal tract and pancreatic enzymes. Br Poult Sci. 1993;34(1):35-42.
4. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Poultry feedsspecification. 5 th rev. New Delhi: Manak Bhavan; 2007.
5. Coles EH. Veterinary clinical pathology. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 1986. p. 17-19.
6. Doumas BT, Bayse DD, Ashwood RJ, Carter RJ, Coffin SJ, Reeder RL. Standard methods for clinical chemistry. Clin Chem. 1997;43(6):799-806.
7. Farghly MF, Mahrose KM, Ahmad EA, Rehman ZU, Yu S. Implementation of different feeding regimes and flashing light in broiler chicks. Poult Sci. 2019;98(5):2034-42.
8. Ferket PR, Gernat AG. Factors that affect feed intake of meat birds: a review. Int J Poult Sci. 2006;5(10):90511.
9. Khurshid A, Khan AA, Banday MT, Ganai AM, Khan HM, Choudhary AR, et al. Effect of feed restriction on performance of broiler chicken. J Entomol Zool Stud. 2019;7(2):1054-6.
10. Kleyn FJ, Ciacciariello M. Future demands of the poultry industry: will we meet our commitments sustainably in developed and developing economies? Worlds Poult Sci J. 2021;77(2):267-78.
11. Mallick P, Muduli K, Biswal JN, Pumwa J. Broiler poultry feed cost optimization using linear programming technique. JOSP. 2020;3(1):31-57.
12. Pasternak H, Shalev BA. Genetic-economic evaluation of traits in a broiler enterprise: reduction of food intake due to increased growth rate. Br Poult Sci. 1983;24(4):531-6.
13. Salem SM, Khulel RM, Al-Tamee NG. Effect of feeding broilers with three different regimens on performance and carcass characteristics. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2023;1158:052024. DOI:10.1088/1755-1315/1158/5/052024
14. Santos L, Patel R. Meal feeding in broilers: effects on performance and energy metabolism. Anim Feed Sci Technol. 2023;301:115-26.