Glycine- and fatty-acid-induced restriction of feed intake: effects on body weights and hatching egg production of broiler breeders restricted from day of hatching.

In two experiments, broiler breeder replacement stocks were subjected to voluntary feed restriction from day of hatching by 1) inclusion of 30 g glycine per kilogram diet for 21 days followed by temporal skip-a-day restriction or b) by inclusion of 50 g coconut fatty acids (CFA) per kilogram diet for 21 or 35 days followed by quantitative skip-a-day restriction regimen. Feed intake and body weight were reduced by 14 to 17% during consumption of experimental diets compared with an unsupplemented starter diet. Following skip-a-day feeding during the growing period, body weights were not different at 140 days of age in each experiment. In Experiment 1, higher egg production (hen-housed %) was associated with glycine-induced restriction of intake of starter diet, but there was no difference in egg weight. The difference was attributable, in part, to reduced mortality during the early laying period. In Experiment 2, no differences were observed in egg production, grams feed per egg, or egg weight due to glycine- or CFA-induced restriction from 1 to 21 days followed by quantitative restriction. Egg production was lower with a lower level of CFA feed restriction from 22 to 35 days, indicating that restricted feeding prior to 35 days increased production of hatching eggs.