The Effects of the Hot, Humid Tropical Climate and Early Age Feed Restriction on Stress and Fear Responses, And Performance in Broiler Chickens (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Tropical countries like Malaysia are constantly facing the challenge of excessive heat and humidity. The hot, humid climate can have a damaging effect on performance and well-being of poultry. Depressed growth rate and decreased feed consumption of broilers raised in higher temperature environments have been reported in many studies over a number of years (Daghir, 1995a). To optimize feed utilization and weight gain of broiler chickens, environmental temperature should be about 23[degrees]C. However, in Malaysia where the ambient temperature ranges from 24[degrees]C to 34[degrees]C, maintaining an optimum climatic environment in a conventional open-sided house is a challenge. Most of the earlier work on heat stress in poultry involved growing of chickens under artificially controlled climates. There is little information on the effects of the natural cyclic temperatures with a maximum of 34[degrees]C on the performance and physiology of broiler chickens as compared to those grown under thermoneutral conditions.