The effect of the continuous intake of pectin was evaluated for 720 broilers regarding performance, carcass yield and water consumption. The design was completely randomized in a split plot design, with pectin levels of 0, 1, 3 and 5% and age 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th week, with six replicates. The viability was not influenced by dietary pectin. Body weight, feed intake and weight gain decreased and feed intake increased with pectin at 35 and 42 days. No effect of pectin on feed intake (FI) and water consumption (W) in the third week. On the sixth week regarding W and FI: W increased with the intake of pectin. At 35 and 42 days all parameters for carcass and cut decreased with increasing intake of fiber, and only the thigh + drumstick yield was not affected at 42 days. The data show that the continuous intake of up to 1% pectin in the diet maintains the best performance in birds and consumption above that level affects the performance parameters and increases the consumption of water in the higher growth phase.
broiler; addictive; carcass; soluble fiber; water intake
