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WHAT ARE THE FEED, BRUISES AND MEDICATION WITH DRAWL

OF BROILER AT MARKET TIME

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Feed withdrawal

Removal of feed before sending the birds to the processing plant is know as feed withdrawal.

Fecal and pathogen contamination of broiler carcasses in processing plants is a fairly common issue in the poultry industry.

In an effort to reduce carcass contamination at processing plants, commercial producers pulled their birds off feed prior to catching, loading, and transporting the broilers to the processing plant

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Withdrawing feed 6 – 8 hr prior to catching seems to be optimum in terms of the bird clearing the upper digestive tract and so reducing the chance of contamination and for ease of processing gizzards.

WITHDRAWAL FEEDING

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The bird will lose weight during feed withdrawal, and this will average about 10 g/hr depending on age and live weight.

Excessively long periods of feed withdrawal seem to actually increase the pathogen load in the upper digestive tract.

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A more serious concern arises if birds are accidentally without feed for 12 hr+.

Broilers again are seen to eat litter, drink excessive amounts of water and so produce very wet manure.

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Both sexes have been observed to lose up to 100 g body weight after 18 hr of no feed being available.

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Changes in the intestinal tract as feed withdrawal time

increase

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0 hour off feed, 0 hour off water

Bird has recently eaten and intestine are rounded, full, and in good condition.

Feed is found from the crop down into the cloaca. Crop and gizzard

are full

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2 hour off feed, 0 hour off water Intestine are still full, rounded and in good

condition. Contents of crop are more watery and gizzard still

contain feed.

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4 hour off feed, 0 hour off water

Intestine are still rounded with a decrease in intestinal contents.

Bird would normally eat again at this point.

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6 hour off feed, 2 hours off water Intestine appears to have more digesta

than at 4 hours, possibly feed passed from the crop and gizzard.

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8 hours off feed, 4 hours off water

Intestinal contents begins to decrease and intestinal tract has begun to flatten.

This point represent the beginning of optimum feed with drawl time (8-12 hours).

Intestinal contents are minimal and intestinal strength is optimized until 12 hour off feed.

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10 hours off feed, 6 hours off water

Intestine is almost empty. This is the optimal feed withdrawal time, as

intestinal strength has not yet diminished.

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12 hours off feed, 8 hours off water

Intestinal tract is empty and intestinal strength will begin to decrease after this point.

Note the dry appearance (loss of mucus) and pin-point hemorrhages.

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20 hours off feed, 16 hours off water

Intestinal content is watery due to extensive intestinal cell necrosis.

Optimum processing time has passed.

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24 hours off feed, 20 hours off water

Similar to 20 hour off of feed, cell necrosis and sloughing occurring.

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Bruises

Bruises can be found on wings, breast, and leg of processed poultry.

Grow-out and production-caused bruises are usually older and appear yellow, green or purple with green edges

Bruises occur during hauling are more recently and are dark red or purple in color.

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Bruises which occur in the processing plants are the most recent and range from pink to light red in color.

Bruised parts must be completely removed if the bruises is severe.

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Thank You for your patience