Factors Influencing the Quantity of Abdominal Fat in Broilers

Three trials were conducted to study the effect of dietary energy level on the quantity of abdominal fat in broilers. The dietary energy level of the starter diet fed the first 4 weeks appeared to influence the quantity of abdominal fat at 7 and 8 weeks of age, but by 9 weeks of age this influence was no longer present. Within each dietary treatment, the abdominal fat in females was a higher percentage of body weight than in the males. Broilers fed the dietary starter/finisher M. E. value combinations had abdominal fat expressed as a percentage of body weight in the following order (high to low): 3306/3372, 3141/3372, 3306/3207, 3306/3042, 3141/3207 and 3141/3042.