Bahri Syamsuryadi, Eko Widodo, Lilik Eka Radiati, Irfan Hadji Djunaidi, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Suyadi Suyadi
This study investigated the interactive effects of initial day-old chick (DOC) body weight and post-hatch holding time (feed deprivation) on early growth, hematological parameters, and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 256 Cobb 500 broiler chicks were allocated in a 2x4 factorial design consisting of two DOC weight groups (light: 41-45 g; heavy: 46-50 g) and four holding durations (24, 36, 48, and 60 hours). Parameters measured included body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), leukocyte profile, heterophil-to-lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, and duodenal histomorphometry. Results showed that heavier chicks exhibited significantly better early growth and feed intake (P<0.01), as well as improved final body weight and feed efficiency (P<0.05). A significant interaction between DOC weight and holding time was observed for leukocyte count (P=0.028), indicating that heavier chicks demonstrated a more pronounced stress-induced immune activation in response to feed deprivation. Although no statistically significant differences were detected in duodenal morphology, prolonged holding (60 hours) showed a biological trend toward villus atrophy. These findings highlight the importance of limiting holding time to a maximum of 36 hours, particularly for lighter chicks, to ensure optimal broiler performance, immune homeostasis, and intestinal health. Copyright: 2025 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Doctoral Program of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science, Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran, Jawa Timur, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran, Jawa Timur, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Departement of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran, Jawa Timur, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Program of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muhammadiyah, Sinjai Jl. Teuku Umar, North Sinjai, South, Sulawesi, Indonesia
