The effects of posthatch handling and transportation of broiler chickens on livability and growth rate, feed efficiency and several physiological characteristics

Live material was consisted of 4568 broiler day-olds. nvestigation was repeated twice with one control (group 1) and three treatmens as transported (group 2), stayed in the chicken boxes for 24 hours (group 3) and the birds left in the hatcher for 24 hours (group 4).

There were statistically significant differences amongst the mean body weight figures of the groups up to five weeks of age (P<0.01). Seven weeks mean body weight figures of the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 2283.00, 2226.67, 2231.67, 2211.33 g for the females and 2685.33, 2730.33, 2684.33, 2639.33 g for the males respectively. Total feed consumption gram per bird for the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 4693, 4638, 4610 and 4647 respectively and feed efficiency figures were 1.88, 1.87, 1.87 and 1.91 respectively. Group differences were statistically significant in respect of livability. Livability percentages were 94.64, 94.26, 94.28 and 91.81 for the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively in seven weeks of time. Broiler efficiency factors were 255.1, 255.0, 252.9, 237.8 for the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

Body temparatures before the day-olds placed into the broiler house measured were 40.11, 40.19, 38.90 and 39.12 °C for the females and 40.00, 39.73, 38.93 and 39.09 °C for the males in the groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively (P<0.01). Group differences were not statistically significant between the PCV, H/L values and NC anticor titers.

t may be stated as the result of this investigation that posthatch stress conditions such as starvation, thirst and high environmental temperature conditions may influence some broiler performance traits and cause some loses. Keywords : Day-old, stress, broiler performance, physiological response