Paper Title
Effects of Different Feed Restriction Regimes on Performance and Ascites Development in Broiler Chickens

Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of early feed restriction or meal feeding on performance and ascites (pulmonary hypertension syndrome) parameters in male broiler chickens. One-day-old broilers were fed a commercial corn-soybean meal based diet meeting NRC (1994) requirement. The treatments were ad libitum (AL), Feed restriction (provide daily maintenance energy requirement) from 7 to 14d, Feed restriction (support 50% of the normal growth rate) from 7 to 14 d, Meal feeding from 7 to 14 d and Meal feeding from 7 to21d. Body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were measured weekly. Heart weight as a percentage of body weight (PHWT) and right/total ventricle weight ratio (RV/TV) was recorded at the end of the experiment. Five replicate groups of 12 broilers were allocated to each treatment. Results indicated that feed restriction reduced weight gain compared to AL or MF regimes (P<0.05) at the end of experiment. Broilers subjected to feed restriction regimes consumed less feed than either AL or MF (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between MF and AL groups in weight gain and feed intake. At the end of experiment, Feed conversion was improved for birds in MF14. Heart and RV/TV values were not significantly affected by the feed restriction (FR and MF) regimes. Keywords- Feed Restriction, Performance, Ascites, Broiler Chickens.