Digestible Lysine on Live Performance of Chicken Type Naked Neck During the Starter Phase

Rg De Oliveira,Srf Pinheiro,Dj Vieira,Lra De Abreu,Av Pires,Mr De Castro

doi:10.1590/1516-635x1704483-488

Abstract

The poultry market has changed due to a higher consumer interest on products with differentiated organoleptic characteristics, making of free-range broiler production a promising activity. This experiment was conducted to determine the digestible lysine requirements of Redbro Cou Nu male and female chickens during the starter phase (one to 21 days of age). Six hundred and thirty Redbro Cou Nu broilers were distributed into 30 pens (21 chickens/pen) according to a randomized complete design in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of five levels of digestible lysine and two sexes, with three replicates (pens) per treatments. Diets with increasing digestible lysine levels (8.1, 9.5, 10.9, 12.3 and 13.7 g of digestible lysine per kg of diet) were offered ad libitum. The following performance traits were evaluated at the end of the experiment (d 21): feed intake, lysine intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. No interaction between dietary lysine level and sex was observed for the evaluated traits. The effect of sex was only detected on body weight gain, while effects of dietary lysine level were only detected on the feed intake. Males presented higher body weight gain than females. Lysine intake and body weight gain increased, and feed conversion ratio decreased as the level of dietary lysine increased. The best feed conversion ratio was obtained when birds were fed 12.95 g of digestible lysine per kg of diet.

Highlights

The rearing of free-range broilers for meat production, which provides better animal welfare, food safety, sensory meat quality, and environmental care, is a promising alternative in poultry production
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of dietary digestible lysine on Oliveira RG de, Pinheiro SRF, Castro MR de, Vieira DJ, Pires AV, Abreu LRA de the performance of male and female Redbro Cou Nu chickens during the starter phase (1 to 21 days of age)
Diets were basically formulated with corn, soybean meal, and crystalline amino acids to meet the nutritional requirements of chickens (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The rearing of free-range broilers for meat production, which provides better animal welfare, food safety, sensory meat quality, and environmental care, is a promising alternative in poultry production. In order to obtain the maximum efficiency in the production of free-range broiler chickens, a feeding program needs to be established for feed formulation (Pinheiro et al, 2011a). The main ingredients used in poultry feed formulation are corn and soybeans, which amino acid profile is not always adequate to supply birds’ needs. Excessive protein supply or imbalance among amino acids may compromise the performance of broiler chickens may cause an excessive load of amino acids in the bloodstream, requiring extra energy expenditure to metabolize and excrete nitrogen as uric acid (Oliveira Neto & Oliveira, 2009). Determining the amino acid requirements to obtain optimum growth and carcass yield is extremely important for the success of poultry production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of dietary digestible lysine on Oliveira RG de, Pinheiro SRF, Castro MR de, Vieira DJ, Pires AV, Abreu LRA de the performance of male and female Redbro Cou Nu chickens during the starter phase (1 to 21 days of age)

Objectives

Methods

Results