492
A. Soliman and A. M. Safwat
to the mash feed [14]. Over and above, birds prefer to eat more feed with larger
particle size in hot weather.
4.3 Separated Feeding
A strategy of dividing the diet components at different times of the day could be
applied during the hot climate. Birds under this regime are provided with their daily
requirements of minerals, vitamins and other supplements in hot periods of the day,
when on the other hand they are provided with their basic energy and protein requirements during cooler periods in the evening. This strategy is useful for birds to tolerate
heat stress; considering that vitamins and minerals reduce the adverse impact of heat
stress during the midday, while proteins and energy are important as major nutrients required to maintain good performance and productivity, providing those major
nutrients at the evening reduces the excess heat overload resulted from nutrients
digestion and metabolism during high temperature.
4.4 Self-selection
This method depends on giving the birds the opportunity to select from various
feed ingredients that match their physiological requirements; this method is similar
to what wild or even backyard birds naturally obtain their feed. Under heat stress
conditions, the bird can adjust its consumption of different feed ingredients so that
it consumes less protein and a slightly higher amount of energy (by consuming high
caloric feed ingredients) compared to the complete mixture diet, in an attempt to
regulate the heat load associated with metabolism during hot cyclic periods.
In this strategy, feeders containing feed ingredients (each separately) should be
provided, including: (1) cereal grains such as corn, wheat, barley or other energy
source either together or separately, (2) protein sources (26–48% protein content),
(3) major minerals containing calcium and phosphorus, and (4) minor minerals and
vitamins premix.
However, cautions should be taken with this feeding system in case of laying
hens, which may prefer only grains feeders, which will lead to fat birds with low
egg production rate. In general, containers of grains should represent only two-thirds
of the total containers number, while the protein source and the premix containers
represent one third of the total containers.
The results of the choice feeding strategy are variable, as it could be affected by
some factors such as birds’ age, the initial age from when the selection was offered,
the particle size of the feed ingredients, the quality of energy and protein sources, as
well as the difference between daily maximum and minimum temperatures.
A. Soliman and A. M. Safwat
to the mash feed [14]. Over and above, birds prefer to eat more feed with larger
particle size in hot weather.
4.3 Separated Feeding
A strategy of dividing the diet components at different times of the day could be
applied during the hot climate. Birds under this regime are provided with their daily
requirements of minerals, vitamins and other supplements in hot periods of the day,
when on the other hand they are provided with their basic energy and protein requirements during cooler periods in the evening. This strategy is useful for birds to tolerate
heat stress; considering that vitamins and minerals reduce the adverse impact of heat
stress during the midday, while proteins and energy are important as major nutrients required to maintain good performance and productivity, providing those major
nutrients at the evening reduces the excess heat overload resulted from nutrients
digestion and metabolism during high temperature.
4.4 Self-selection
This method depends on giving the birds the opportunity to select from various
feed ingredients that match their physiological requirements; this method is similar
to what wild or even backyard birds naturally obtain their feed. Under heat stress
conditions, the bird can adjust its consumption of different feed ingredients so that
it consumes less protein and a slightly higher amount of energy (by consuming high
caloric feed ingredients) compared to the complete mixture diet, in an attempt to
regulate the heat load associated with metabolism during hot cyclic periods.
In this strategy, feeders containing feed ingredients (each separately) should be
provided, including: (1) cereal grains such as corn, wheat, barley or other energy
source either together or separately, (2) protein sources (26–48% protein content),
(3) major minerals containing calcium and phosphorus, and (4) minor minerals and
vitamins premix.
However, cautions should be taken with this feeding system in case of laying
hens, which may prefer only grains feeders, which will lead to fat birds with low
egg production rate. In general, containers of grains should represent only two-thirds
of the total containers number, while the protein source and the premix containers
represent one third of the total containers.
The results of the choice feeding strategy are variable, as it could be affected by
some factors such as birds’ age, the initial age from when the selection was offered,
the particle size of the feed ingredients, the quality of energy and protein sources, as
well as the difference between daily maximum and minimum temperatures.