Productive performance of grazing heterozygous naked neck fowls, with different vital spaces and Morus alba leaf meal included in the ration

Abstract

In order to study the productive performance of heterozygous naked neck fowls, with different vital spaces, a total of 144 fowls of T451N breed, without being sexed, from 1 to 91 d old were used. They were distributed according to a random blocks design, with a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement in six treatments: three vital spaces (5, 10 and 15 m2) and two diets (0 and 3 % of Morus alba leaf meal), at 30 % of restriction. Weight gain, food conversion, carcass yield and its main cuts and abdominal fat deposition were evaluated. The space-diet interaction was significant in intake, weight gain (P < 0.05) and food conversion (P < 0.01). Results indicated a higher productive efficiency with 10 m2/fowls. Regarding control diet (1.62 g/kg LW), the highest liveweight (3.15 kg) and the lower abdominal fat deposition (1.46 g/kg of LW) were obtained when including 3 % of mulberry leaf meal, regardless the vital space used. The vital space influenced on carcass yield and its main cuts (drumsticks+tighs and breast), which were superior within 10 and 15 m2. It can be concluded that breeding grazing heterozygous naked neck fowls, fed with a diet with 3 % of mulberry leaf meal, at 30 % of restriction in 10 m2 per fowl, improved productive performance.

Key words: grazing rearing, mulberry, naked neck fowls, abdominal fat