Maximizing the performance of heat stressed broilers by optimizing starch-to-lipid ratios, digestible amino acid, and metabolizable energy during the finisher phase.

This study investigated the effects and interactions among diets formulated to have high starch-to-lipid ratios (S:L), amino acid density [indicated as % digestible lysine (DigLys)], and AME on growth performance and carcass characteristics of heat stressed broilers. A {3,3} simplex lattice design was used to assess relative effects and generate predictive models. Three basal finisher diets were formulated to have the highest S:L ratio (Basal A; 20:1), DigLys (Basal B; 1.

Research Note: Validation of a low-cost accelerometer to measure physical activity in 30 to 32-d-old male Ross 708 broilers.

Poultry activity measurements are often associated with expensive equipment or time-consuming behavior observations. Since low-cost accelerometers are available, the current study validated the FitBark (FitBark 2, FitBark Inc., Kansas City, MO) accelerometer for use on 30 to 32-d-old male Ross 708 broilers.