An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of the physical form of feed on performance and carcass characteristics of broilers. A total of 240 male broiler chicks were assigned and housed in metal cage of three floors in a randomized block design with 4 physical forms of feed and 6 repetitions with 10 birds per experimental unit, where each floor represented a block. Treatments consisted of: mash, pelleted, expanded and expanded pelleted diets. Performance indexes were analyzed in the period from 1 to 22 and 1 to 39 days of birds' life. Two birds with an average weight of the group were taken from each repetition and slaughtered at 40 days of age for carcass evaluation. The physical form of ration affected the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers. For the period from 1 to 22 days and from 1 to 39 days, chickens that consumed the mashed food had lower feed intake, weight and weight gain, whereas birds fed pelleted diets showed no difference in weight, weight gain or feed conversion from those fed expanded pelleted diets. The major results for these variables were observed for birds fed pelleted or expanded pelleted diets. Birds fed expanded pelleted diets showed the best results for carcass and cut weight compared with those fed with mesh diet, and this better outcome did not differ from that found for birds fed pelleted diet. The use of rations in pelleted or expanded pelleted physical forms is recommended, for they promote the best animal performance parameters.
birds; nutrition; ration processing
