Abstract Male broiler chickens were meal fed using 3.5 hr on:4.5 hr off, 3 cycles/24 hr and in combination with 2 hr on:2 hr off, 6 cycles/24 hr; comparison was made to ad libitum feeding, all with continuous light. Trials were conducted at optimum (21 C) grow-out temperature and at hot (22 to 33 C) grow-out temperatures. Grower diets in either pellet or crumble form containing either 3110 or 3210 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy were used. At 21 C, meal feeding significantly reduced growth rate and adversely affected feed conversion; doubling the meal frequency midway through the 21-day growing period reduced the adverse effect on feed conversion, but feed conversion remained significantly affected. Under hot weather conditions, meal feeding significantly improved feed conversion but had no effect on growth rate. Response to meal feeding in hot weather was better for birds fed crumbles than for those fed pellets. Meal feeding tended to increase abdominal fat in both temperature conditions. Response to energy level was similar in both meal-fed and ad libitum-fed birds.