Effect of Season on Growth Performance and Economics of Cobb-430 Chicks Reared under Deep Litter System

Abstract

Aims: The study was conducted on broilers (Cobb-430) during summer (May- June), -post-monsoon season (September-October) and winter (December- January) Birds were weekly examined during the 0-35 days for body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and mortality. Study Design:  The study was conducted on Cobb-430 chicks at the Livestock farm complex, RPS College of Veterinary Sciences, Mahendergarh, Haryana. The study was conducted in three different seasons viz summer (May- June), post-monsoon season (September-October) and winter (December- January). Methodology: A total of 1020 day old chicks (Cobb-430) were procured from the hatchery for every seasonal experiment and reared under the same management practices till 35 days. The study was conducted during May, 2024 to January, 2025. The chicks were randomly divided into four replicates after arrival and reared under the same management conditions. Results: The body weight of birds (gram) on the 35th day during summer, post monsoon and winter seasons were 1898.75±17.21, 2003.75±19.87 and 1826.2±37.58 respectively, which varies significantly (P=0.05). The study revealed that season significantly affected the growth and body weight gain of birds. The highest weight gain was observed during the post-monsoon period followed by summer and winter. The highest mortality was observed during the summer period (5.7%) followed by winter (4.4%) and post-monsoon (3.5%). The feed conversion ratio during summer, post-monsoon and winter was 1.58, 1.54 and 1.71 respectively. Conclusion: The study concluded that more growth in broilers was observed during the monsoon season compared to the winter and summer seasons.