Effects of dietary physical form on performance and water intake of broiler chicken

A completely randomized design experiment was conducted to determine the effects of physical form of the diet (pellets or mash) on the growth performance and water intake of broiler chicken. Twenty seven days-old (n=32) broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 8 deep litter cages. Each cage housed 4 birds and contained a feeder and a drinker. Birds in four cages were fed a commercial broiler finisher diet (Nutrina Feed Sri Lanka) in pelleted form. The pellets of the same diet were ground and fed as a mash to the other four groups. The experimental diets were fed for two weeks from day 28 to day 42. The bulk densities of the pelleted and mash form diets were 0.67 and 0.55 g/cm', respectively. Feeds and water were given ad libitum. Daily feed and water intakes were measured. The mean day time temperature and relative humidity during the experiment period ranged from 26 to 32 ()C (mean 29.1 °C) and 65 to 92%. (mean 76.3). respectively. Live weights were taken on day 35 and day 42. Growth performance parameters such as weight on day 42 and weight gains and feed intake were not significantly affected due to the physical form of the diets. Water intake was also not significantly affected by the dietary physical form. Water intakes ofbroilers between 28 and 42 days old broilers were 478 and 502 ml per day for mash and pellets. respectively. The intake of water per 100 g of B W decreased from 36 ml to 34 ml in mashform diet fed birds and from 40 ml to 36 ml in pelleted diet fed birds during day 28-35 and day 35-42. respectively. In contrast, the water intake per unit of feed ingested increased as birds grew. Water: feed ratio of the mash form diet fed birds during day 38-35 increased from 2.9 to 3.6 during day 35-42. Similarly, when pelleted diets were given, the water: feed ratio increased from 3 to 3.7 during day 28-35 to day 35-42 periods. It was concluded that growth performances of broiler chicks fed reground pellets in mash form are comparable with the broilers fed pelleted form of the same diet.