The present study was carried out to determine the diurnal feeding patterns of broiler chickens given a choice between ascorbic acid (AA) supplemented and unsupplemented feeds under heated or unheated conditions. Broiler chickens were offered supplemented (with 200 mg AA/kg feed) and unsupplemented feeds, and the feeding behaviour for each feed was monitored by continuous recording of the weight of the feed container for 4 days under unheated (UH) and the next 4 days under heated (H) conditions. The weight and timing of each meal was used to calculate cumulative feed intake, AA intake, number of meals, mean meal size and length, intermeal interval, interval length, eating time and consumption rate. The results showed that heating had a significant (P

The present study was carried out to determine the diurnal feeding patterns of broiler chickens given a choice between ascorbic acid (AA) supplemented and unsupplemented feeds under heated or unheated conditions. Broiler chickens were offered supplemented (with 200 mg AA/kg feed) and unsupplemented feeds, and the feeding behaviour for each feed was monitored by continuous recording of the weight of the feed container for 4 days under unheated (UH) and the next 4 days under heated (H) conditions. The weight and timing of each meal was used to calculate cumulative feed intake, AA intake, number of meals, mean meal size and length, intermeal interval, interval length, eating time and consumption rate. The results showed that heating had a significant (P