Statistical design for optimization of experiments with broilers

• Grant number: 14/07637-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Sílvia Helena Venturoli Perri
• Grantee: Sílvia Helena Venturoli Perri
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Manoel Garcia Neto ; Marcos Franke Pinto ; Max José de Araujo Faria Junior

Abstract

The poultry industry has sought to optimize animal production. For this reason, the mathematical modeling is an essential tool to achieve greater control and production planning, appropriate to the different feeding conditions, market and economic interests. Thus, design of experiments is one of the most important phases of scientific research. With this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of electrolyte balance to optimize the performance of broilers supplemented with phytase and to apply central composite design as an alternative to full factorial with the same quality of the estimates of the studied responses. Therefore, two experiments will conducted simultaneously, with a total of 530 male chicks one day old Cobb 500 strain, and the treatments will consist of diets containing electrolyte balance of 250 mEq/kg and combinations of levels of electrolyte ratio (RE) and phytase. The experiment I will be conducted with 370 birds distributed in a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement 3 x 3 (0, 500 and 1000 FTU/kg of phytase and 2, 3, 4 for RE) and the experiment II will use 160 birds in a factorial arrangement 2 x 2 (146 and 854 FTU / kg of phytase and 2.3 and 3.7 for RE). The birds will be housed in 53 boxes (4 replicates per treatment and 10 birds per plot with exception of the treatment in the central point with 5 replicates). With these two experiments will be possible to compare four designs of treatments, full factorial, fractional factorial, central composite design and central composite rotational design to estimate a response surface. Performance data, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, carcass yield and percentage of abdominal fat will be measured, as well as the feasibility of using the central composite design to optimize experiments with broiler and to adjust the response surfaces. (AU)