Nutrition for broilers under high temperatures is extremely important for brazilian broiler chicken industry because the amounts of consumed nutrients and environmental temperature have great effects on bird performance and carcass quality. Among diet nutrients, protein has the highest heat increment; thus, during many years, diets with low protein level were recommended in order to reduce heat production in broiler chickens under heat stress. However, reports have shown that low-protein diets have negative effects on broiler performance when environmental temperature is high, because during heat stress, low food intake associated to a low diet protein induce amino acid deficiencies. Other studies have shown that broilers fed low-protein diets increase their energy requirement for maintenance with higher heat production. Thus, with the growth of broiler industry in tropical areas more challenges need to be faced by the farmers. So, both the ambient and nutritional conditions ought to be well managed to avoid negative effects on poultry production once they can affect the metabolism (body heat production under low temperature and body heat dissipation under high temperature) with consequence on poultry performance (meat and eggs)

In order to evaluate the effect of energy intake and broiler genotype on performance, carcass yield, and fat deposition, 600 one-day-old male chicks from two different genetic groups (AgRoss 308 -commercial line and PCLC -Embrapa non-improved line) were fed diets with different metabolizable energy level (2950, 3200 and 3450 kcal/kg). A completely randomized experimental design in a 2X3 factorial arrangement with four replications of 25 birds per treatment was applied. In order to ensure different energy intake among treatments within each strain, feed intake was daily adjusted by pair-feeding schemes. AgRoss 308 broilers had better performance and carcass yield, and presented lower abdominal fat deposition rate. In both genetic groups, the highest dietary energy level increased weight gain, heart relative weight, and fat deposition. However, it reduced the difference between AgRoss 308 and PCLC for feed conversion ratio and carcass protein deposition. These findings allow concluding that genetic improvement had a significant effect on broiler energy metabolism, and that the highest performance differences between genetic groups are found when low-energy intake is imposed.

In order to evaluate the effects of broiler genotype and of heat exposure on performance, carcass characteristics, and protein and fat accretion, six hundred one-day-old male broilers were randomly assigned in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, according to the following factors: genetic group (selected and non-selected broilers) and pair-feeding scheme (Ad32 - reared under heat stress and fed ad libitum; Ad23 - reared at thermoneutrality and fed ad libitum; Pf23 - reared at thermoneutrality and pair fed with Ad32), with a total of six treatments with four replicates of 25 birds each. Independent of pair-feeding scheme, selected broilers showed better feed conversion, higher carcass yield, and lower abdominal fat deposition rate. However, as compared to non-selected broilers, they reduced more intensively feed intake when heat exposed, which promoted significant breast-yield decrease, and more pronounced changes on carcass chemical composition. These findings allows concluding that, in both genetic groups, both environmental temperature and feed-intake restriction influence abdominal fat deposition rate and other carcass characteristics; however, the impact of heat exposure on broiler performance is more noticeable on the selected line

Foram incubados 61.920 ovos, provenientes de uma única linhagem comercial de matrizes de frangos de corte. Foi avaliado o efeito da utilização de diferentes temperaturas de incubação (T), medidas pelo termômetro de bulbo úmido em graus Celsius (ºC), em ovos de matrizes categorizados por peso (P), com idades (I) distintas, sobre o percentual de nascidos totais (eclosão), a eclodibilidade, o percentual da perda de peso dos ovos e a mortalidade embrionária. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado num esquema fatorial 3 x 4 x 5, representando, respectivamente, três temperaturas de incubação (28,6, 29,6 e 30,6ºC), quatro idades em semanas (34, 39, 53 e 63) e cinco categorias de pesos de ovos, com médias de peso (g) de 60,0; 65,1; 66,6; 69,0; e 73,2. A mortalidade embrionária total (Metot) foi menor na temperatura de 28,6ºC . Na idade de 39 semanas, obteve-se a menor Metot e para categorias de peso os ME apresentaram as menores médias. Houve efeito significativo dos fatores idade e categorias de peso e das interações entre I x P, T x I e T x I x P no peso médio dos ovos (Povo). Para o percentual da perda de peso dos ovos (Pppeso) até a transferência, verificou-se efeito significativo para temperatura, idade e categorias de peso de ovos. Os percentuais de eclosão e eclodibilidade (Eclod) foram otimizados com 10,3% de perda do peso durante a incubação a 28,6ºC.