Modeling of growth in Lohmann LSL pullets with neural networks and nonlinear regression models

Objective. Modeling the pullet growth curve of the Lohmann LSL line, by using nonlinear model (MNL), nonlinear mixed model (MNLM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Materials and methods. An average of 33 birds, were weighed from day 21 to 196 of life for 558 individual weight records. To adjust the growth curve the following models were used: nonlinear Von Bertalanffy (MNL), nonlinear mixed Von Bertalanffy (MNLM) and artificial neural networks (RNA). The models were compared with a correlation coefficient and precision measurements: mean square error (MSE), Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Results. Correlation values, between actual and estimated data, were 0.999, 0.990 and 0.986 for MNLM, RNA and MNL respectively. The most accurate model based on the MAPE, MAD and CME criteria was MNLM followed by RNA. The prediction graph for RNA was similar to MNLM. The RNA performance was higher than MLN. Conclusions. The best model for the prediction of growth curves of commercial Lohmman LSL birds to 196 days of age, was the MNLM, with multiple measurements per animal at the time. RNA performance was higher MLN.