2. WHAT ARE THE FEED, BRUISES
AND MEDICATION WITH DRAWL
OF BROILER AT MARKET TIME
2
3. Feed withdrawal
Removal of feed before sending the birds to the
processing plant is know as feed withdrawal.
Fecal and pathogen contamination of broiler
carcasses in processing plants is a fairly common
issue in the poultry industry.
In an effort to reduce carcass contamination at
processing plants, commercial producers pulled their
birds off feed prior to catching, loading, and
transporting the broilers to the processing plant
3
4. Withdrawing feed 6 – 8 hr prior to catching seems
to be optimum in terms of the bird clearing the
upper digestive tract and so reducing the chance of
contamination and for ease of processing gizzards.
WITHDRAWAL FEEDING
4
5. The bird will lose weight during feed withdrawal,
and this will average about 10 g/hr depending on
age and live weight.
Excessively long periods of feed withdrawal seem
to actually increase the pathogen load in the upper
digestive tract.
5
6. A more serious concern arises if birds are
accidentally without feed for 12 hr+.
Broilers again are seen to eat litter, drink excessive
amounts of water and so produce very wet
manure.
6
7. Both sexes have been observed to lose up to 100 g
body weight after 18 hr of no feed being available.
7
8. Changes in the intestinal tract
as feed withdrawal time
increase
8
9. 0 hour off feed, 0 hour off water
Bird has recently eaten and intestine are rounded,
full, and in good condition.
Feed is found from the crop down into the cloaca.
Crop and gizzard
are full
9
10. 2 hour off feed, 0 hour off water
Intestine are still full, rounded and in good
condition.
Contents of crop are more watery and gizzard still
contain feed.
10
11. 4 hour off feed, 0 hour off water
Intestine are still rounded with a decrease in
intestinal contents.
Bird would normally eat again at this point.
11
12. 6 hour off feed, 2 hours off
water
Intestine appears to have more digesta than at
4 hours, possibly feed passed from the crop
and gizzard.
12
13. 8 hours off feed, 4 hours off water
Intestinal contents begins to
decrease and intestinal tract
has begun to flatten.
This point represent the
beginning of optimum feed
with drawl time (8-12 hours).
Intestinal contents are
minimal and intestinal
strength is optimized until 12
hour off feed.
13
14. 10 hours off feed, 6 hours off water
Intestine is almost empty.
This is the optimal feed withdrawal time, as
intestinal strength has not yet diminished.
14
15. 12 hours off feed, 8 hours off water
Intestinal tract is empty and
intestinal strength will begin
to decrease after this point.
Note the dry appearance (loss
of mucus) and pin-point
hemorrhages.
15
16. 20 hours off feed, 16 hours off water
Intestinal content is watery due to extensive
intestinal cell necrosis.
Optimum processing time has passed.
16
17. 24 hours off feed, 20 hours off water
Similar to 20 hour off of feed, cell necrosis and
sloughing occurring.
17
18. Bruises
Bruises can be found on wings, breast, and leg of
processed poultry.
Grow-out and production-caused bruises are
usually older and appear yellow, green or purple
with green edges
Bruises occur during hauling are more recently and
are dark red or purple in color.
18
19. Bruises which occur in the processing plants are
the most recent and range from pink to light red in
color.
Bruised parts must be completely removed if the
bruises is severe.
19
