One hundred and eighty one-day old broilers (Arbor Acres) were used in this study. The chicks were divided into three groups: The chicks were reared on wheat straw litter (group 1); the birds were reared on sand litter (group 2) and Group 3 where the birds were reared on saw dust litter. The chicks were raised on these types of litter from 0 to 49 days of age. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: The birds reared on sand litter had the heaviest body weights as compared with those reared on wheat straw or saw dust. Also, the overall mean for body weight gain (BWG) followed the same trend as body weight (BW). The type of litter had no effect on feed consumption (FC). The cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P0.05) better for birds of groups 1 and 2 as compared with those of group 3. Birds of group 2 had better FCR as compared with those of group 3. The mortality rate (MR) was 16.7, 6.7, and 20.0 % for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. No significant differences were found in carcass, feet and shanks, head, neck, drumsticks, femurs, breast, wings, and back weight percentages. Moreover, type of litter had no significant effect on fat contents (drumstick, femur and breast), shank length or heart, liver, proventriculus, spleen, lungs, gizzard, intestines, and kidneys weight percentages. Broilers reared on wheat straw or saw dust showed a larger number of foot lesions than those reared on sand litter. Besides, sand litter had lower bacterial counts than saw dust and wheat straw, which showed the greatest bacterial counts. No mold populations were observed at sand or wheat straw litter, however, high mold populations were found in saw dust litter. Red blood cells (RBCs) increased significantly (P0.05) by 6.93 % in birds reared on sand than that of birds reared on wheat straw or saw dust. Hemoglobin (HG) and heamatocrit (HC) were decreased significantly (P0.05) in birds of group 3 as compared to those of groups 1 and 2. It was proved that group 2 (reared on sand litter) had the best economic efficiency (EE) value as compared with groups 1 and 3 (reared on wheat straw or sawdust, respectively).

One hundred and eighty one-day old broilers (Arbor Acres) were used to study the effect of different procedures of skip-a-day feeding regime on broiler ferformance. Four groups were used: Group 1 (control) birds were fed ad libitum from 0 to 42 days of age; Group 2 birds were fed ad libitum for the first three weeks, then the feed was removed for one day every week until the end of the experiment; Group 3 feed was removed for one day every week for the first three weeks, then the birds were fed ad libitum up to the end of the experiment; and Group 4 the feed was removed for one day every week from the first week until the end of the experiment. The results obtained could be summarized as follows: At marketing age (6 weeks), the control birds had heaviest body weight (BW) of all feed restricted birds (P0.05). Also, the overall mean indicated that the control birds showed the highest (P0.05) daily weight gain of all other feed restricted groups. The overall mean feed consumption (FC) was decreased significantly (P0.05) in restricted groups when compared to the control. However, there was no difference among all groups in the overall mean of feed conversion ratio (FCR). Broilers fed ad libitum had the heaviest (P0.05) carcass weight of all feed restricted birds. Although there were no significant differences between ad libitum and restricted fed birds in feet and shank (legs), neck, drumsticks, femurs, breast and wings weights, the ad libitum birds had significantly heavier (P0.05) back weights than the birds of groups 2 and 4. Restricted fed birds had significantly greater (P0.05) blood shed than ad libitum birds. It was found that broilers of control and group3 had significantly (P0.05) less liver weights than groups 2 or 4. Birds of groups 2 and 4 had significantly greater (P0.05) giblets weights than birds of the control group. Heart weight of the control birds was significantly greater (P0.05) than birds of group2. However, there were no significant differences between control and all treatment groups in proventriculus, spleen, lungs, intestines, gizzard, and kidneys weights. Birds of group 1 had significantly higher fat deposition in drumstick, femur, and breast muscles than all restricted treatments (P0.05). There were n differences between broilers fed ad libitum and restricted birds in keel and shank length. It was proved that feed restriction had no effect on mortality rate (MR) but reduced leg problems and abnormalities. Red blood cells (RBCs) increased significantly (P0.05) in restricted fed birds than the birds fed ad libitum. Hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and heamatocrit (HC) were decreased significantly (P0.05) in ad libitum birds as compared to restricted fed birds, with the highest concentrations in groups 2 and 3. Also, HC showed a similar trend as that of Hb. It was proved that restricting feed from 4-6 weeks of age was more economically efficient than restricting feed from 0-3, 0-6 weeks of age or than feeding ad libitum. In general, it could be concluded that although feeding ad libitum program resulted in higher BW, but economically was less efficient than feed restriction programs. The most suitable feeding program was by using ad libitum feeding from 0-3 followed by skip-a-day from 4-6 weeks of age. This program is also recommended because it resulted in a less fat product which matches with the consumer desire and health.

One hundred and eighty one-day old broilers (Arbor Acres) were used in this study. The chicks were divided into three groups: The chicks were reared on wheat straw litter (group 1); the birds were reared on sand litter (group 2) and Group 3 where the birds were reared on saw dust litter. The chicks were raised on these types of litter from 0 to 49 days of age. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: The birds reared on sand litter had the heaviest body weights as compared with those reared on wheat straw or saw dust. Also, the overall mean for body weight gain (BWG) followed the same trend as body weight (BW). The type of litter had no effect on feed consumption (FC). The cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P0.05) better for birds of groups 1 and 2 as compared with those of group 3. Birds of group 2 had better FCR as compared with those of group 3. The mortality rate (MR) was 16.7, 6.7, and 20.0 % for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. No significant differences were found in carcass, feet and shanks, head, neck, drumsticks, femurs, breast, wings, and back weight percentages. Moreover, type of litter had no significant effect on fat contents (drumstick, femur and breast), shank length or heart, liver, proventriculus, spleen, lungs, gizzard, intestines, and kidneys weight percentages. Broilers reared on wheat straw or saw dust showed a larger number of foot lesions than those reared on sand litter. Besides, sand litter had lower bacterial counts than saw dust and wheat straw, which showed the greatest bacterial counts. No mold populations were observed at sand or wheat straw litter, however, high mold populations were found in saw dust litter. Red blood cells (RBCs) increased significantly (P0.05) by 6.93 % in birds reared on sand than that of birds reared on wheat straw or saw dust. Hemoglobin (HG) and heamatocrit (HC) were decreased significantly (P0.05) in birds of group 3 as compared to those of groups 1 and 2. It was proved that group 2 (reared on sand litter) had the best economic efficiency (EE) value as compared with groups 1 and 3 (reared on wheat straw or sawdust, respectively).

One hundred and eighty one-day old broilers (Arbor Acres) were used in this study. The chicks were divided into three groups: Group 1 where the chicks were reared under continuous light (CL); Group 2 where the birds were reared under increasing lighting program (INL); and Group 3 where the birds were reared under intermittent lighting program (IL). The birds were kept under these lighting programs till 7 weeks of age. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: The INL decreased body weight (BW) at 7 weeks of age as compared to CL, while IL birds attained similar body weights to CL. The overall mean indicates that broilers reared under CL and IL showed a significantly higher daily weight gain than those reared under INL. The overall mean of feed consumption (FC) in group 2 decreased significantly (P0.05) as compared with groups 1 and 3. The broilers of group 2 had significantly better (P0.05) cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) than that of birds of group 1, while birds of group 3 had an intermediate cumulative FCR. The mortality rate (MR) was 11.7, 8.3 and 10.0 % for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Broilers reared under IL had significantly less breast yields than those reared under CL or INL. No significant differences were observed in carcass weights, head, neck, drumsticks, femurs, wings, back, internal organs weights and abdominal fat deposition among different lighting programs. Birds of groups 1 and 3 had significantly higher fat deposition in drumstick and femur meat than those of group 2. However, there were no differences in breast fat deposition among all groups. Red blood cells (RBCs) decreased significantly (P0.05) in birds subjected to CL than that of birds reared under INL or IL. Hemoglobin (HG) concentration was increased significantly (P0.05) in group 2 as compared to birds of groups 3 or 1. Also, birds of group 3 had higher HG concentrations than group 1. The heamatocrit (HC) showed a similar trend as that of HG. The birds reared under CL had more leg problems than birds reared under INL and IL. It was concluded that increasing lighting program was more economically efficient than intermittent or continuous lighting programs at rearing broilers to 7 weeks of age.

The aim of this study was to testify if the growing broiler chick requires optimal level of lysine and/or methionine to be supplied continuously for 24 hrs. Three hundred one-day old Ross broiler chicks were equally distributed into 10 groups (G1 to G10), each of three equal replicates. The birds were fed four experimental diets (D1 to D4): D1 (optimal levels of lysine; 1.05% and methionine; 0.50%), D2 (suboptimal levels of lysine; 0.75% and methionine; 0.37%), D3 (suboptimal level of methionine; 0.37%), and D4 (suboptimal level of lysine; 0.75%). G1 (control) to G4 received D1 to D4; respectively continuously for 24 hrs. G5 to G7 received D1 interrupted (at three periods per day each of four hours) by discontinuous feeding of D2, D3 or D4; respectively. G8 to G10 were fed in a similar way to the last three groups except the discontinuous feeding of D2, D3 or D4 was at different time of feeding throughout the day. The effect of these treatments on body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, carcass parts and carcass composition was determined till 49 days of age. The discontinuous feeding of suboptimal level of both lysine and methionine or lysine alone had a negative effect on body weight and gain, breast and liver weights, and feed efficiency; however, the discontinuous feeding of suboptimal level of methionine was less effective on the mentioned criteria. The time of diurnal optimal feeding revealed an alleviating effect on body weight and breast weight in case of methionine; and on feed efficiency in case of lysine. It could be concluded that the diurnal discontinuous feeding of suboptimal level of lysine was more deleterious than methionine. Moreover, the effect of time (throughout the day) of discontinuous feeding suboptimal level of lysine was more pronounced than methionine. Also, it could be concluded that diurnal continuous supply of lysine and methionine at optimal level is required for better broilers performance.