ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to determine the best time to introduce finisher diets in the humid tropics. Four treatments (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th week) were tried in this study that lasted for 9 weeks. A total of one hundred and eighty birds were used for the experiment. The birds were randomly assigned into 4 treatments that were replicated three times with 15 birds in each replicate. The following were measured, growth performance, carcass quality and cost benefit analysis. On growth performance, the result of body weight in grams were as follows 2523.33±95.39, 2603.46±7.45, 2605.08±94.25 and 2724.08±60.22 representing TWK 3, TWK 4, TWK 5 and TWK 6 respectively. The result of average weight gain in grams showed that it increased from TWK 3 to TWK 6 as follows, 2476.33±95.34, 2556.46±7.46, 2558.08±94.25 and 7.677.08±60.22. The average feed efficiency also increased from TWK 3 to TWK 6 as follow 0.36±0.01, 0.37±0.00, 0.38±0.01 and 0.39±0.01. Feed intake, feed conversion ratio were also measured but non of these parameters were significant (P