Longo, Flavio Alves [UNESP]Sakomura, Nilva Kazue [UNESP]Benatti, Mônica Reis Bittencourt [UNESP]Junqueira, Otto Mack [UNESP]Zanella, Irineo [UNESP]2022-04-282022-04-281999-11-01Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, v. 28, n. 6, p. 1310-1318, 1999.0100-4859http://hdl.handle.net/11449/224367The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the early-life qualitative feed restriction on the performance, gastrintestinal tract characteristics and carcass of broilers. A total of 975 one-d-old Ross broiler chicks, 15 plots with 30 males each and 15 plots with 35 females each, was allotted to a completely randomized design in a 5 × 2 (restriction forms x sex) factorial arrangement, with three replicates per treatment. The treatments were: 1 - no dilution (control); 2 - dilution with 15% of limestone; 3 - dilution with 30% of limestone; 4 - dilution with 15% of rice hulls; 5 - dilution with 30% of rice hulls. The broilers were full fed a standard diet from 1 to 7 days and from 15 to 45 days of age. The feed restriction by dilution of diets, according to each treatment, was applied from 8th to 14th-days of age. The diluted were formulated with normal levels of minerals and vitamins, and the other nutrients were reduced according to the dilution. The broilers allotted to early-life qualitative feed restriction, by the dilution with and 15% of limestone and 15.0 or 30.0% of rice hulls showed a compensatory growth with a good final performance. However, the restriction with 30% of limestone was severe, prejudicing the broiler performance. The gastrintestinal tract characteristics alteration occurred with the feed restriction, but there was a recovering up to the slaughter time. The broilers allotted to a qualitative feed restriction showed less fat and more protein deposition in carcass, as compared with the control.1310-1318porBroilerCarcassFeed restrictionGastrintestinal tractPerformanceArtigo2-s2.0-0141824949