Two hundred and twelve Gimmizah (G) and Golden Montazah (GM) female
chicks. at 4 weeks of age were used. Four groups of about (26-27) chicks from each
strain were kept on floor pens and fed a growing diet from 4 to 20 weeks of age. The
chicks were assigned randomly to one of the following treatments: the control group
which was fed ad libitum, the +8% group, which was fed 8% diet above that ofthe
control consumption during a week before, and the -8% and -16% groups, which were
fed 8% and 16%, respectively, less feed than that of the control consumption during a
week before. These treatments were applied up to 20 weeks of age, then, laying diet
was provided instead of the growing one and the same amount of food was allocated
to birds of all treatments till the end of the experimental interval. Water was available
for ad libitum intake throughout the study. The G strain was significantly (P<0.001)
heavier than GM at all studied ages, and food allocation treatment affected BW
(P which received the increased food allocation surpassed the control, -8% and -16%
groups in a descending order up to 20 wks of age. While GM birds grew significantly
(Pfrom 12-16 weeks, the control group or hens
which received the increased food allocation surpassed the -8% and -16% groups.
The G birds had significantly better values of feed conversion (FeR) at 4-8 and 16-20
weeks of age. On the averages, the hens of ·16%, -8% food allowancing showed
significantly the best values of FeR at 12·16 weeks, followed by those with increased
food allowancing +8% and then the control hens. The interaction between the strain
and feed treatment (SxT) was significant in the later two periods studied. No
significant differences were observed in age at sexual maturity between the two
strains or among the feeding treatments. In addition, GM pullets produced significantly
higher egg number (EN) during all periods studied than G. The same trend was found
in rate of laying (Rl). However, strain had no effect on either EN or Rl at 120 days of
production. With respect to the feed conversion during laying interval (Fel), GM
pullets showed significantiy (P month of laying while no significant effect of food allocated treatment were found. The
G pullets produced significantly (P (P percentage. While control pullets produced lighter eggs than the other treated groups,
pullets which were received +8% feed allowance had the lowest yolk index (YI)
values. There were highly significant interactions between SxT of egg weight (EW),
shell weight and albumen weight percentages and Haugh units. Also, significant
interaction between SxT was found with respect to VI. Neither the strain nor feeding
treatment had significant effects on both fertility and hatchability. However, the
percentage of early dead embryos of G eggs was significantly (P that of GM chicks. These results indicated that increasing the food allowance by 8%
resulted in an increase in growth traits, while a decrease of 16% in Gimmizah birds
and 8% in Golden Montazah birds of feed allowance improved the egg production