An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of early feeding on the small intestine of broiler chickens. 225 chicks, one-day old of broiler chickens Ross 308 with mean live body weight of 45 g were used, and were randomly distributed to five treatments by 45 chicks per treatment with three replicates (15 chicks per replicate). The experimental treatments were as follows: T1 (control treatment) – the chicks were transferred 24 hours after hatching to the field without feeding, T2 – the chicks were fed immediately and transferred to the field 24 hours after hatching, T3 – the chicks were fed immediately and transferred to the field 6 hours after hatching, T4 – the chicks were fed immediately and transferred to the field 12 hours after hatching, T5 – the chicks were fed immediately and transferred to the field 18 hours after hatching. The results of the present study showed no significant effects (P > 0.05) of the experimental treatments on the histological characteristics of the ileum and jejunum. However, significant differences in the length of the villi, the depth of the crypts, the thickness of the mucous layer and the thickness of the total wall of the duodenum was detected.

Early Feeding, Transferring Time, Histological Properties, Small Intestine, Broilers.