This experiment was carried out to evaluate the metabolizable energy (ME) (2850, 2921, 3000, 3075 e 3150 kcal/kg) levels for male broilers from 1 to 21 days of age, maintained in thermoneutralenvironment. Four hundred and fifty chicks, male, with average initial 44±0.2 g LW, were allotted to a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments, nine replicates and ten animals per experimental unit. The ME level of the diet affected the average weight gain and the ME intake, which increased, and the feed:gain ratio, that linearly decreased with the increase of the dietary energy level. The dietary energy level affected the fat and protein deposition rates of the carcass and abdominal fat weight, which linearly increased, while the carcass yield was not affected. The dietary level of 3075 kcal ME promoted the best broiler performance, from 1 to 21 days of age, maintained under a thermoneutralenvironment.
thermoneutral; metabolizable energy; broiler
