The Effect of Dietary Energy Level on Dressing Percentage of Broilers

Broiler finishing diets containing 2614, 3005 or 3304 Kcal. of metabolizable energy/kg. were fed to 28-day old male Cobb broilers. At 61 days of age the birds were cooped and held for slaughter on the next day. The birds were weighed at 61 days of age, pre-slaughter, pre-chill and post-chill. Percentages for shrink, eviscerated yield and ready-to-cook yield were calculated. A combined total of 512 birds were used in three trials. There was no statistically significant difference in percentage shrink between birds from the three dietary treatments. Metabolizable energy levels of 3005 and 3304 Kcal./kg. produced eviscerated and ready-to-cook yields significantly higher than those obtained with an energy level of 2614 Kcal. M.E./kg.; however, yields obtained with the two higher energy levels were not significantly different.