The aims of this work were to know the best age to feed poultry with sunflower meal (SM), to determine the best percentage of SM to feed animals in different ages and to evaluate economicall viability of SM as a feeding for poultry ration. In this experiment 480 three days old chicks were distributed in a randomized design. The experimental treatments consisted in rations with different percentages of SM (0, 4, 8 and 12%) and birds with different ages (I1= 3-21 days, I2=21-35 days and I3= 36-42 days of age). The treatments were: T1= 0% of SM inclusion on the rations at ages I1, I2 and I3; T2= 4% at ages I1, I2 and I3; T3= 8% at ages I1, I2 and I3, T4= 12% at ages I1, I2 and I3, T5=0% at age I1 and 4% at ages I2 and I3, T6=0% at age I1 and 8% at ages I2 and I3 ; T7= 0% at age I1 and 12% at ages I2 and I3, T8= 0% at ages I1, I2 and 4% at age I3, T9= 0% at ages I1, I2 and 8% at age I3; e T10= 0% at ages I1, I2 and 12% at age I3. Statistical analyses were carried out in factorial schemes 4x2, 7x2 and 10x2 to evaluate characteristic weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion rate at 3-21, 3-35 and 3-42 days, respectively. There were no treatments effects on weight gain and on feed intake in the birds age. At 3-35 days of age, treatments T1 and T7 provided respectively the best and the worst feed conversion rate. The lowest production cost was obtained when the animals were fed at treatment T8.
feeding efficiency; fiber; nutrition
