Prediction of whole-body composition from the whole-body dry matter percentage of three-week-old broiler chicks.

Whole carcasses of 3-wk-old broiler chicks from four independent experiments were analyzed for percentage of whole-body DM, ether extract, and CP. The percentage of whole-body ash was calculated by the difference among DM, ether extract, and CP. A linear relationship between percentage whole-body DM and percentage whole-body ether extract (P < 0.001; r2 = 0.798) was found, but no relationships were detected between percentage whole-body DM and percentage whole-body CP (P = 0.29; r2 = 0.010). The percentage of whole-body ash was moderately correlated with the percentage of whole-body DM (P = 0.04; r2 = 0.036). In conclusion, the percentage of whole-body ether extract of 3-wk-old broiler chicks can be predicted from the percentage of whole-body DM by using the prediction equation Y = 0.961x - 17.855. Neither the percentages of whole-body CP nor ash could be accurately predicted from the wholebody DM percentage.