THE EFFECT OF NUTRIENT INTAKE DURING REARING OF BROILER BREEDER FEMALES ON SUBSEQUENT FERTILITY

Broiler breeder females were grown to similar 20-wk BW with diets cont aining levels of CP ranging from 11 to 20% CP in four experiments. At 20 wk of age, the pullets were mixed with sex-separate reared males, g rown with a 17% CP, 2.89 kcal ME/g diet. Treatment BW at 20 wk of age were between 1.94 and 2.11 kg per pullet. Birds were photostimulated a t 20 wk of age. Irrespective of cumulative energy intake or 20-wk BW, pullets that consumed less than 1,180 g of CP exhibited reduced fertil ity. These results demonstrate a relationship between CP intake by fem ales during rearing and subsequent fertility.