M Abbas Yaseen Hussein - Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
H. S. A Jawad - Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

New researches suggest that an early feeding approach has a long-term influence on chick growth performance and nutrient metabolism. The present study was designed to determine the effect of early feeding and the time of chickens transferring from the hatchery to the field on broiler chickens' productive performance and carcass traits. Two hundred twenty-five chickens, one-day-old of broiler chickens Ross ۳۰۸ with a mean live body weight of ۴۵ g, were used and were randomly distributed to five treatments by ۴۵ chickens per treatment with three replicates (۱۵ chickens per replicate). The experimental treatments were as follows: T۱ (control treatment) – the chickens were transferred ۲۴ hours after hatching to the field without feeding,  and in groups T۲ to T۵, the chickens were fed immediately and transferred to the field ۲۴, ۶,۱۲,۱۸ hours after hatching, respectively. The current results showed no significant (P>۰.۰۵) effects of the experimental treatments on final body live weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. In addition, the treatments' insignificant (P>۰.۰۵) effects on the weights of the carcass, abdominal fat, breast, thigh, back, wing, neck, heart, liver, and gizzard were found. It can be concluded that there was no evidence of a positive effect of early feeding and transporting duration after hatching on productive performance and carcass characteristics of broilers.

early feeding, productive performance, Carcass characteristics, Broiler Chickens