Diluted starter diet, growth performance, and digestive tract development in fast- and slow-growing broilers

Broilers are challenged by metabolical immunological, and skeletal disorder s during a short lifespan. Faster-growing stocks may be frequently feed res tricted via various management practices including dietary dilution. Inform ation on the early posthatch nutrition of chicks, however, is limited. Hypo thetically, one way to stimulate digestive tract development while slowing down body growth is to dilute the starter diet. In this experiment, wheat b ran, usually well tolerated by chickens, was used in the formulation of a l ow energy and high fiber starter regimen until 11 days after hatch. Evaluat ed was its effect on food intake, digestive tract, and body development to 41 days of age in males of two stocks differing greatly in growth. Growth a nd tissue development were evaluated between 11 and 41 days of age when all chickens received the same concentrated diet. Gut development was nearly m aintained even under very low nutritional status, but the initial delayed g rowth of the body could not be compensated for afterward in either stock. T hese results demonstrate that nutritional status during early life has long lasting effects on both fast- and slow-growing broilers.