Effects of initiation age of skip-a-day feed restriction on skeletal development in broiler breeder males

This experiment was conducted over an 18-week period to determine the effec ts of initiating a skip-a-day (SAD) feed restriction program at 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age on male broiler breeders, For each of the SAD treatments, fee d intake was manipulated so that the breeder's recommended target weight wa s reached by all groups at 18 weeks of age. Males were evaluated for shank and keel length and head width at 7 and 18 weeks of age. The results of this experiment show that starting a SAD feeding program at 2, 4, or 6 weeks of age will decrease shank and keel length as well as head width. Feed restriction affected keel length and head width in a very simi lar manner; shank length was not as sensitive to the time of initiation of the SAD feed restriction program.