Response to lysine intake in composition of body weight gain and efficiency of lysine utilization of growing male chickens from two genotypes

Institut fur Ernahrungswissenschaften, Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle, Germany.

Male chickens of a broiler (B) and a layer (L) genotype were grown in floor pens from d 8 to 21 posthatch in groups of 10. Three pens per genotype were allocated to each of 10 experimental diets. The diets were offered ad libitum and they differed in lysine concentration from 3.8 to 16.8 g/kg. The source of supplemental lysine was L-lysine x HCl. All birds were killed at the end of the experiment, and representative birds (3 groups of 10 per genotype) were killed at the start for baseline measurements. Accretions of protein, fat, energy, and amino acids were determined by comparative body analysis. Responses were described with sigmoidal and exponential functions. Additionally, the net disappearance rate (NDR) of amino acids from the small intestine was studied with the basal diet (3.8 g of lysine/kg) using 6 replicated pens of 15 birds per genotype. Titanium dioxide was the indigestible marker. Net disappearance rates were not significantly different between genotypes for CP or any amino acid. Responses to incremental lysine concentration were nonlinear for both genotypes but distinctly different in magnitude between genotypes. Estimated y(max) values for 14-d BW, protein gain, and gain/ feed ratio were 534 (B) and 153 (L) g, 87.1 (B) and 28.7 (L) g, and 0.82 (B) and 0.71 (L) g/g. Protein accretion approached 95% of the estimated y(max) with dietary lysine concentrations of 12.5 (B) and 10.4 (L) g/kg. The amino acid profile of accreted whole body protein was different between genotypes, and was affected by supplementary lysine. Lysine content in accreted whole body protein approached upper values of 7.4 (B) and 5.6 (L) g/16 g of N with increasing dietary lysine concentration. Marginal efficiency of lysine utilization, determined as delta lysine accretion/delta lysine intake, showed maxima of 99% (B) and 74% (L). These maxima were achieved at intakes which were much lower than those needed for high protein accretion. It was concluded that the efficiency of amino acid utilization may depend on genotype, perhaps due to differences in the relative proportion of different protein fractions to whole body protein and due to differences in the ratio of synthesis and degradation of body proteins. Nonlinear relationships and different amino acid pattern of accreted body protein should be implemented in future models of requirements.

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