The experiment was carried out to evaluate the use of five levels of sugar (0; 4; 8; 16 and 32%) in substitution to the corn in the feed of broilers from 1 to 21 days. Three hundred and twenty day old chicks, half male, half female, were randomly assigned to 20 box, with a total of 16 chicks/box. Water and ration were "ad libitum" fed during all experimental period. The diets were formulated to be isonitrogen and isocaloric. The birds were weighed at 42 days of age and four birds of each experimental unit, two males and two females, were fasted for 12 hours. After this period, the birds were slaughtered and eviscerated and carcass weight and yield as well as cuts yield were collected. Linear reduction was observed for weight gain and the worst for alimentary conversion, as the sugar levels increased, showing smaller efficiency of feeding use. Females showed no significant effects for cuts. Males showed quadratic effect for carcass weight, with the level of 8.42%, reaching the maximum of 1965.1g. For the economic analysis, no advantage by using sugar cane based diets was observed.
abdominal fat level; alternative food; carcass yield; energy source; poultry nutrition
