EFFECT OF LIGHTING PROGRAMS ON BROILER CHICKENS PERFORMANCE, CARCASS YIELD AND PARTS YIELD.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of two lighting programs on performance, carcass yield and parts yield of broiler chickens. Nine-hundred-sixty Cobb male and female broiler chicks were used and distributed in a completely randomized design with 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two sexes and two lighting programs: - increasing light: 1 to 14 days, 24L:0D; 15 to 21 days, 16L:8D; 22 to 29 days, 18L:6D; 30 to 40 days, 20L:4D and 41 to 49 days, 23L:1D; - continuous light: 23L:1D to 1 to 49 days of age) with four treatments and six replicates of 40 birds. In the starter phase, birds raised on increasing light program showed lower body weight gain and feed intake as compared to those submitted to continuous light program. However, in the total period of rearing no significant differences between treatments were observed. Carcass yield and parts yield showed no standard profile. In conclusion, a compensatory gain in the broiler chickens reared on increasing light program was observed. KEY-WORDS: Broiler chickens. Lighting programs. Performance. Sex. Yield.