Nutrition of the newly hatched chick -physiological limitations and potential

摘要

When the chick emerges from the egg, its digestive and immune systems are still immature and the hatchling is not prepared to face the challenges confronting them. First, there is the transition from yolk to oral nutrition. Associated with this are the substantial physical and functional development of the digestive tract and organs and the development of active immunity. The capacity to digest, absorb and transport nutrientsis limited during the early lite ot Droilers. lo achieve their genetic potential, the neonate must quickly adapt to efficiently digesting and utilising nutrients from complex exogenous dietary sources in which energy is supplied predominantly by carbohydrates. As the growing period of modern broilers continues to shorten, the early nutritional management of the chick becomes increasingly important to success.