Good feather cover for optimising energy utilisation

More than 8,000 feathers cover broilers although their number differ by breed and genetic line. Feathers are involved in thermoregulation and play an important role in providing protection against outside challenges and physical injuries. Therefore attention should be given to maintaining good feathering through management and nutrition. By Dr John Hardiman and Dr Manouchehr Katanbaf, Cobb, USA Feathers make up anywhere from three to six percent of the live weight of a healthy chicken depending