The Impact of Feeding Strategies to Reduce the Heat Stress in Broiler Production

Agnès Osei-Adjei, Armstrong Donkoh, Goodman Sarfo and Jacob Hamidu

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate feeding strategies to increase broiler growth rate, reduce heat stress and improve welfare. Materials and Methods: A total of 240 Cobb 500 day-old chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement (3×2) forming 3 treatments: T1 (control-ad libitum feeding), T2 (feed withdrawn between 11 am to 4 pm daily) and T3 (ad libitum feed +1% palm oil) and (2 levels of water treatments: P1 (plain portable water) and P2 (Tetrapluera tetraptera powder dissolved in water, as organic anti-heat stressor). Data on growth rate, carcass analysis and blood biochemical parameters were collected. Data were analyzed using the generalized linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The results showed that the total feed consumption, final body weight and weight gain were higher in T3 than that of T1. Both the major and full breast muscle weights for T3 was higher than those of T1 and T2. The carcass parameters were not affected by feeding strategy, water treatment, or their interactions, except for head and full gizzard weights. Platelet counts for T3 was higher but mean platelet volume (MVP) and platelet large cell ratio (PLCR) was higher for T1 than that of T3. The MVP was also higher for P1 than that of P2. Conclusion: The results showed that feeding strategies influenced broiler growth more than water treatment. Prekese had phytochemicals that have inhibitory effects on respiratory illnesses and coccidiosis, such as saponins, flavonoids, polyphenols and tannins.

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