The document discusses different systems for feeding poultry, including ad libitum feeding (free choice feeding), controlled feeding such as forced feeding, restricted feeding, and phase feeding. Restricted feeding involves limiting the amount of feed given to birds below their normal intake in order to control body weight and delay sexual maturity. Phase feeding involves changing the protein level of the laying hen diet during different phases of egg production to match their nutrient requirements.

1. Systems of feeding Poultry
Presented by:
Dr J. BalaKesava Reddy,
GVM/16-005,
Department Of Animal Nutrition,
NTR College Of Veterinary
Science.

2. FEEDING SYSTEMS
Most of the poultry rations first formulated were used to supplement
locally produced cereal grains grown on the average small farm.
But when birds were reared on commercial scale, birds were
confined to indoors and thus the need for feeding formulated ration
was felt.
Thus feeding a formulated feed which is balanced in all the essential
nutrients needed for normal growth and production of birds is called
complete feed.
Complete feed does not require any supplementation.

3. Different feeding system for feeding of poultry are
given here under:
A. Ad.libitum feeding
B. Controlled Feeding :
A. Forced Feeding
C. Restricted Feeding
D. Phase feeding

4. A) Ad.libitum feeding
This system is also called free choice feeding.
In this system feed is always available and the bird can eat at will.
Ad.libitum feeding is practiced in broiler chicken where maximum body
weight is the ultimate goal for rearing the birds.
Ad.libitum feeding is easy to manage.
Feed can be supplied for several days at a time and needs no monitoring or
supervision of the bird's daily intake.
In this system a bird regulates its total intake (their intake of nutrients)
themselves.
Due to the higher cost of feed ad.libitum feeding system is not of very
great interest.

5. B) Controlled Feeding :
(a) Forced Feeding
It is sometime attempted for a short while in first week when turkey
poults do not learn or try to pick up their feed.
Forced feeding may be employed in other species if feed and water
are denied for more than 36 hours to prevent body dehydration.
Mash water mixture, sweetened milk, skim milk etc. should be fed.
A 25 ml syringe or a laboratory pipette fitted with a rubber catheter
or smooth tube may be employed to force the slurry down the gullet.

6. C) Restricted Feeding
Restricted feeding during the growing period means an actual
reduction of nutrient intake below minimum requirement of birds.
Feed intake is reduced either by limiting feed offered to 85-90% of
normal fed intake or by diluting the conventional feed with fibrous
material of low nutrient density or following skip a day feeding.
In skip a day feeding feed is provided on the first day at 85-90% level
of the 2 days ration ; on the 2nd day birds are not given any feed and
some whole grain may be spread on litter.
Feed restriction is recommended until 21 or 22 weeks of age up to
5% egg production level

7. It is reported that low protein or low lysine diets are able to produce
slightly more delay in sexual maturity than quantitative feed
restriction.
Pullet birds on restricted feeding requires 5-10 days longer to reach
sexual maturity.
There is a reduction in the number of small eggs laid at the
commencement of production.
Restricted feeding is also practiced in broiler, since excess weight of
breeders affect fertility and egg production.

8. Allowing birds an unlimited supply of feed may with some strains
result in heavy over consumption.
The birds are liable to consume too much energy and this will be
converted into body fat which in turns leads to a higher maintenance
requirement.
In addition birds become too fat and resulting in reduced egg
production, and infertility and mortality may be increased.
Restricted feeding programmes are therefore, recommended for
some strains of laying chicken.
Restricted feeding is essential to delay sexual maturity and is thus
essential during growing stage to retard liveweight gain from
becoming too fat and allowing them to economize production.

9. In cases of broiler chicks preferably after 18 days are subjected to
restricted feeding up to 30-35 days of age in order to check the
prolific body growth resulting into physiological and metabolic
disease syndromes like Ascites, Cardio-respiratory failure etc.
In the majority of cases the recommended feeding programme of the
breeder should be followed carefully and only departed from for very
good reasons.
Over restriction of feed is also harmful and can result in very late
maturity and unsatisfactory production.
Restricted feeding programmes are often started with replacement
broiler breeders at about eight weeks of age and continued
throughout their laying life.

10. Advantages of Restricted Feeding:
Delay sexual maturity from few days to 3 or 4 weeks.
Reduces body weight and amount of body fat.
Cost of raising pullets is reduced.
There is a better livability during egg production.
Egg weight is regulated producing larger eggs.

11. Restricted feeding programmes are followed by
different methods:
a) Limited Everyday- Feeding Programme:
The birds are given a measured amount of feed each day but less than they
would eat if full fed.
b) Skip-a-day Feeding: (Limited Access):
In this programme birds are fed every other day and the amount of feed given
on feed days must be regulated to twice the amount of feed allocated on the
limited every day programme.
c) Varying Nutrient Density:
Another approach to the restriction of nutrient intake is diluting the nutrient
density of ration.
This can be done either reducing the energy intake, protein restricting, latter is
based on the idea that laying birds have different nutritional needs at different
phases of their productive life.

12. D) Phase Feeding
Followed during laying phase
Phase feeding refers to change in the protein level of laying diet
during normal production cycle.
Such changes are designed to regulate the intake of dietary protein to
meet more closely the hen’s requirement at various stages of egg
production.
Reduce feed cost and also to help to maintain the egg size.
The level of protein in layer ration may be reduced to 17,16,15% on
90,75 to90 and 65 to 75% of egg production , respectively, keeping
the feed intake at 100 g level per day per bird.

13. In this the production cycle is divided into three stages (popularly
called phases):
• Phase-I
• Phase-II
• Phase-III

14. Phase-I:
During the first phase of 20 weeks period from the age of 22'weeks to 42
weeks, the birds are expected to reach from zero to peak egg Production
of 85 percent or so.
This further accompanied into increase in body weight by 500g and
increase in size of eggs from 40 to 60g.
Therefore, the first phase of reproduction is critical for maximum egg
production and tissue development.
Thus energy content of poultry rations should be adjusted to supply
required quantity of protein.

15. Phase-II:
It is the period from 42 weeks of age to 62 weeks when hens have
attained mature body weight and egg production and has not gone
below 60 percent level.
The eggs produced are larger and efficiency of protein utilization is
approximately 56 percent during this phase.

16. Phase-III:
It ranges from 62 weeks to 76 weeks of age or till the spent
out birds are discarded.
During this phase egg production is less than 60 percent.
Phase feeding can be applied for energy restriction.
The energy requirement for laying hens varies from 310 kcal
ME/day in severe winter to 265 kcal in summer.

17. Thus phase feeding refers to changes in the laying hen's diet.
To adjust to age and state of production.
To adjust for season of year and for temperature and climatic
changes.
To account for difference in body weight and nutrient
requirement of different strains of birds.
To adjust for one or more nutrients as other nutrients are
changed for economic and availability reasons.

18. In phase feeding, high protein feed (usually 18-19%) is given
from onset of egg production to peak production period.
Therefore, a low level of protein (about 16%) is fed for the
next 5 or 6 months, followed by still lower level (usually 15%)
until the laying period is completed.
Phase feeding thus helps to reach higher peak production
and sustain it longer.

19. Effects of restricted feeding on physiological
stress parameters in growing broiler breeders
I.C. De Jong , S. Van Voorst , D.A. Ehlhardt & H.J. Blokhuis
Age
Body weight (g)
Age
Feed intake (g/d)
R AL R AL
21 336.6±2.2(84%) 399.0±4.2
28 452.1±2.3 710.5±7.3 21 to 28 42 89.3±1.0
35 573.5±2.9(51%) 1127.9±10.0 28 to 35 45 119.2±1.2
42 685.9±3.1 1520.0±11.6 35 to 42 49 132.5±1.7
49 806.4±3.9 2014.3±16.7 42 to 49 53 161.6±2.4
56 941.4±4.1 2393.9±18.6 49 to 56 57 168.1±2.5
63 1071.9±4.0 2735.5±23.7 56 to 63 60 178.9±2.6
70 1217.6±6.5 3110.6±27.1 63 to 70 60 194.6±2.7
77 1338.0±6.1 3412.8±24.9 70 to 77 60 186.9±1.8
84 1444.7±5.1 3616.0±128.4 77 to 84 60 180.1±1.5
British Poultry Science Published online: 28 Jun 2010

21. References:
Practical Poultry Feeding & Nutrition.
Applied Nutrition-Livestock, Poultry, Rabbits and Laboratory
Animals- 3rd Edition by D.V.Reddy.

22. THANK YOU