Nutritional levels of digestible methionine + cystine to brown-egg laying hens from 50 to 66 weeks of age

Clauber Polese,Sabrina Endo Takahashi,Valter Oshiro Vilela,Ricardo Vianna Nunes,Márcia Antonia Bartolomeu Agustini,Cândida Camila Dos Reis,Cleverson De Souza,Christiane Garcia Vilela

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982012000700019

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the requirement of digestible methionine + cystine of brown-eggs laying hens from 50 to 66 weeks age at the end of the first production cycle. The design was completely randomized, with 150 Brown Shaver hens, which were distributed in five treatments with six replications of five birds each. Birds received a basal diet with 2857 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 15.97% crude protein, supplemented with 0.132; 0.174, 0.215, 0.256 and 0.298% DL-methionine (98%), in order to provide 0.572, 0.613, 0.653, 0.693 and 0.734% digestible methionine + cystine. The levels of digestible methionine + digestible cystine followed, respectively, the relations of 67, 72, 77, 81 and 86% with lysine fixed at 0.851%. Feed intake, methionine + cystine intake, feed conversion per dozen eggs, egg weigth and mass, percentage of egg components, internal egg quality and weight gain were evaluated. Methionine + cystine levels showed a quadratic effect on feed conversion per dozen eggs and egg weight, a linear effect on feed conversion per kilogram of eggs and percentage of albumen. There was also a positive linear effect on yolk percentage. The methionine + cystine requirement was estimated at 0.572%, corresponding to 682 mg of digestible methionine + cystine/bird/day.

Highlights

The current practice to reduce the cost with feeding is based on the incorporation of industrial amino acids, since they replace the traditional protein sources (Varela, 2009). Pinto et al (2003) pointed out that this practice allows the formulation of cheaper diets with lower crude protein levels than those recommended by the tables of nutritional requirements, in addition to meeting the requirements of essential amino acids
The objective of this study was to determine the requirement of digestible methionine + cystine of browneggs laying hens from 50 to 66 weeks age at the end of the first production cycle
Methionine + cystine levels showed a quadratic effect on feed conversion per dozen eggs and egg weight, a linear effect on feed conversion per kilogram of eggs and percentage of albumen

Summary

Introduction

The current practice to reduce the cost with feeding is based on the incorporation of industrial amino acids, since they replace the traditional protein sources (Varela, 2009). Pinto et al (2003) pointed out that this practice allows the formulation of cheaper diets with lower crude protein levels than those recommended by the tables of nutritional requirements, in addition to meeting the requirements of essential amino acids. The current practice to reduce the cost with feeding is based on the incorporation of industrial amino acids, since they replace the traditional protein sources (Varela, 2009). Pinto et al (2003) pointed out that this practice allows the formulation of cheaper diets with lower crude protein levels than those recommended by the tables of nutritional requirements, in addition to meeting the requirements of essential amino acids. The authors emphasize that nutritional levels of energy and protein should be considered in the nutrition of brown-egg laying hens during the different stages of production. Lemme (2001) reports that the profitability of animal production depends on the formulation of diets with minimum cost. The use of some ingredients or sources of nutrients is important due to their nutritional values, which provide higher efficiency; otherwise, nutritional and economic losses may occur

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