Division of Livestock Production and Management Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Srinagar-190 001, India
*Reprint request: Dr. G.A. Bhat, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Shuhama Alusteng, PB#135 GPO, Srinagar-190 001, India
An experiment of thirty days duration was conducted during winter season (November/December) on 10d-old commercial broilers (n=99) reared in batteries to study the effect of feeding iso-nitrogenous diets (CP 22%) with different energy levels viz., 2800 (T1), 3000 (T2) and 3200 (T3) kcal/kg feed on their performance. The performance of broilers with respect to weight gain (1159±29.2 to 1223±77.79), feed intake (2707±2.5 to 2744±16.89), feed efficiency (2.26±0.13 to 2.35±0.06) and survivability among the three groups was statistically similar. So far as cost benefit analysis is concerned the cost of feed per kg live weight was Rs. 27.53 in T1, Rs. 32.43 in T2 and Rs. 35.95 in T3 groups. Therefore, it could be concluded that dietary energy of 2800 kcal/kg feed was optimum for better economic returns of broilers during 10–40d of age.
Broilers, Energy levels, Weight gain, Feed Efficiency, Economics
