Factors Affecting Broiler Production: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT

The meta-analysis data were obtained from a survey of published articles over 15 years. The data were selected to classify the factors that impact broiler production and separated by influence aspects of animal production (thermal environment and other factors). The relevant data for each study were systematized, grouped and later tabulated and inserted into a database prepared in a spreadsheet. The variables used to analyze the thermal environment were temperature (comfort, high and low) and performance data (weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion). The variables used for other features were ventilation (TER = tunnel + evaporative cooling, PP = positive pressure, NV = natural ventilation) and performance (feed conversion, live weight, mortality, and weight gain). The factors that may influence the production of broilers were tested by covariance analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and divergence analysis, about the Cobb®, Ross® and Hubbard® strains. The results showed that the factors that most influenced the performance of broilers were temperature, ventilation rate, and genetic strain.