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Early feeding from a broiler perspective
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05 August 2026

The current chapter discussed how early feeding, where chicks receive feed and water immediately at hatch, may be perceived from a broiler perspective compared to traditional delayed feeding, where they are withheld until arrival at farm. Broilers subjected to more than 36 hours of delayed feeding show lower body weight and higher mortality. Potentially their health is impaired, though studies on this topic are still limited. Studies investigating differences in welfare between early- and delayed fed broilers suggest that early feeding possibly prevents short term hunger, thirst, and stress to broilers, but such studies are also scarce. Broilers that receive early feeding do produce more heat compared to traditional delayed fed broilers and this requires careful adjustments to (climate) management during transport and housing. In short, early feeding seems promising from a broiler’s perspective, though a considerable amount of future studies are required to draw sound conclusions on various aspects.
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Delayed feeding
- 3 Residual yolk
- 4 Growth rate
- 5 Health
- 6 Welfare
- 7 Early feeding case studies
- 8 Future trends in early feeding
- 9 Where to look for further information
- 10 References