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Feeding Regimen, Dietary Vitamin E, and Genotype Influences on Immunological and Production Traits of Broilers

Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0306 Phone: (540) 231-6472 FAX: (540) 231-3010

C. T. Larsen

Department of Large Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442

D. A. Emmerson

Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0306

Pierre-Andre Gereart

Rhône-Poulenc Animal Nutrition, Research Department, BP 100 94300 Antony Cedex, France

Michel Picard

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Station de Recherches Avicoles, 37380 Nouzilly, France

Correspondence: P. B. Siegal1, E-mail:jacksons{at}vt.edu

Many functional changes occur during the first 2 wk after a broiler hatches, a period that continues to be an increasing proportion of a broiler's life. Breeding programs are designed to produce a broiler with high potential for growth, yield, and feed efficiency, traits that may compromise health status under husbandry designed to maximize this genetic potential. This experiment compared performances of two broiler lines differing in growth and yield, when reared to 12 days of age under full and diluted feeding regimens containing three dietary levels of vitamin E. Traits measured included body weight (BW), feed efficiency, and allomorphic measures of breast, shank, spleen, bursa, heart, gizzard, ceca, and lung. For bilateral traits, asymmetries were measured. Data were obtained for mortality, response to sheep red blood cell antigen, heterophils, lymphocytes, and response to an E. coli challenge. Responses to dietary feed restrictions and levels of dietary vitamin E during the first 12 days after hatch were noted at market age. There was a trade-off between growth- and health-related traits with responses to husbandry programs, age, sex, and genetic line.

Key Words: Broilers • feed restriction • growth • health traits • vitamin E