Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine

The study was carried out to determine the effect of a skip-a-day type of feed restriction on growth performance, of white cockerels. A total of eighty-four day-old chicks of white cockerels were used. There were four treatment groups replicated thrice: Treatment 1:  Control treatment (Fed full for the entire period of the study); Treatment 2:  Skip-a-day on the sixth week and fed full thereafter; Treatment 3: Skip-a-day on the eighth week and fed full thereafter and Treatment 4:  Skip-a-day on the tenth week and fed full thereafter. Routine vaccination and medication were strictly adhered to. Commercial chicks and growers mash formulated to meet the requirement of the National Research Council for cockerels were used for the study. The analysis of the wing size, lengths of shank, thigh, body, and beak, body weight, and breast girth were done across various treatments. The results showed that at 6 weeks, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in wing size and beak length, while no disparities (p > 0.05) were found in shank, thigh, and body lengths. At 8 weeks, significant differences (p < 0.05) emerged in wing length, shank, thigh, and body length among treatments. Conversely, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were noted in beak length. At 10 weeks, only body weight exhibited significant differences (p < 0.05) among treatments. At 12 weeks, significant (p < 0.05) variations were observed in wing size, shank length, thigh length, and body length. However, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected in body weight and breast girth. Overall, the skip-a-day feeding regime influenced certain morphometric traits of the cockerels, being best in Treatment 2, across the different age groups. These findings contribute to a better understanding of dietary interventions in poultry management practices.