Growth and behaviour of chicks fed on pellets or mash

Synopsis

Newly hatched hybrid and Brown Leghorn chicks were fed on diets in either pellet or mash form and growth and feeding behaviour were studied. The mash was made by re‐grinding the pellets. All chicks fed on pellets were heavier after 40 d, but had eaten no more than those fed on mash. The apparent digestibilities of pellets and mash were about the same in the hybrid chicks but was greater for mash than pellets with the Leghorn birds. All chicks fed on mash spent more time feeding than those fed on pellets, but the times spent on drinking and resting were similar with both food forms. Chicks which were given a choice of food form consistently preferred mash to pellets. It is concluded that pelleted food was converted more efficiently than mash mainly because chicks spent less time feeding on pellets and so expended less energy, and in the case of the Leghorns there may have been improved digestibility when the food was pelleted.