Responses of broiler chicks to dietary copra cake of high lipid content

Abstract

1. Broiler chicks fed on a diet containing 500 g/kg expeller copra cake of high residual oil content not only retained less dry matter and gained less weight than those fed on a control diet with no copra, they also experienced difficulty in achieving similar food intakes.

2. Chicks given the 500 g/kg copra ration initially displayed an excited behaviour pattern, which may have developed out of frustration as they could neither derive adequate nourishment from their food nor increase food intakes sufficiently to allow them to achieve their genetic potential for growth.

3. Chicks however showed considerable adaptation in that efficiency of food utilisation and intakes were increased gradually; the latter appeared to be partly regulated by an increased intake of water that was associated with copra feeding. The surface area of the intestines was also increased in order to facilitate the absorption of nutrients, and greater proportions of the nutrients absorbed were converted into body weight.

4. There were no significant differences in 7‐week body weights of chicks fed the control, 125 g/kg and 250 g/kg copra diets. Although weight gains at the 500 g/kg inclusion rate were lower, the carcases of these chicks had less abdominal fat and were consequently leaner.