This research was carried out to evaluate the performance of broiler breeder hens submitted to different feeding programs applying models to predict the metabolizable energy requirements after peak production. The experiment was conducted during 84 days (three periods of 28 days), at the Sao Paulo State University - Jaboticabal. Seven hundred and forty female broiler breeders Hubbard Hy-Yield, and eighty males Petterson 55-week old were assigned to a randomized design with four treatments and five replicates of 37 birds (box), and a factorial model 4´3 (four treatments and three periods). The feeding programs evaluated were: T1 - feeding according to the lineage recommendation (428 kcal/bird/day from 55 to 66-weeks old); T2 - energy reduction (2 kcal/bird/day for each week); T3 - feeding according to UNESP (2000) model; T4 - feeding according to NRC (1994) Model. The feeding program with weekly energy reduction was suitable to maintain the productive and reproductive performance of the birds, indicating the possibility of reducing 2 kcal/bird/day, at each week, in broiler breeders fed after 55 weeks of age. The UNESP and NRC models promoted higher energy intakes than the lineage recommendation, probably due to the body weight of breeders, that were above the recommended for lineage, providing higher energy requirements of maintenance.
broiler breeders feeding; metabolizable energy requirements; productive and reproductive performance
