Abstract: Environmental enrichment is a process of enhancing the physical or social environment of an animal, and it is design to provide expression of natural species-appropriate behaviour of captive animals. Objects such as perches, straw-bale, mirror, dust bath, audio- visual tools and pecking devices are used to enrich the poultry environment. Environmental enrichment help in limiting stereotypical behaviours such as cannibalism and pecking in poultry, which have impact on the health, welfare and performance of broiler chickens. This study aimed at studying the effects of varying perches height on performance of broiler chickens. 288 Parodex line in a commercial broiler farm in Jalingo were used for period of 42 days. Varying perches height T0, T1,T2, T3,T4 and T5 with 8 replications were used to examine the effects on performance. The effects of varying perches height in the present study has no effects p>0.05 on the performance of broiler chickens. However, T4 shows optimal improvement in the body weight and feed conversion ratio 92g, 252g, 407g and 1.81, 1.54 and 1.60 at d0-d21 respectively. In order to draw final conclusion, future research is needed to examine the effects of varying perches height using different perches type and height.
Keywords: broiler, perches, performance.
Title: EFFECTS OF VARYING PERCHES HEIGHT ON PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS
Author: Anthony A.A
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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