Protein, Methionine, and Lysine Requirements of Growing Hen Turkeys Under Various Environmental Temperatures

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to study the protein and amino acid requirements of growing Large White female turkeys at temperatures of 7, 14, 21, and 28 C. In Experiment 1, five dietary treatment series (A, B, C, D and E) which ranged in protein content from 24.3 to 16.9, 20.4 to 14.2 and 17.8 to 11.9%, were fed during 8 to 11, 11 to 14, and 14 to 17 wk of age, respectively. The D diet series was also supplemented with methionine or lysine or both to equal the levels in the B series forming the D, DM, DL, and DML treatments. In Experiment 2, B and C protein levels were fed between 11 and 14 wk of age. Between 14 and 17 wk of age, the B, C, D, and E protein levels were fed to each group forming a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement.In Experiment 1, during 8 to 11 wk of age, body weight gain decreased when birds were fed diets containing less than 22.5% protein. From 11 to 14 wk of age, at 7 and 14 C, the C diet supported maximum gains but at 21 and 28 C, the B and A diets, respectively, resulted in heavier turkeys. With the D diet, methionine supplementation significantly (P<.05 ) improved body weight of birds during 8 to 11 and 11 to 14 wk of age; lysine supplementation had no effect during 8 to 11 wk and inconsistent effects on gain during 11 to 14 and 14 to 17 wk of age. Results from 14 to 17 wk of age show that the protein requirement of female turkeys during this age was overestimated by the National Research Council in 1984. In Experiment 2, turkeys fed the C diet during 11 to 14 wk of age were significantly (P<.05) lighter than those fed the B diet only at 28 C. During 14 to 17 wk of age a higher level of dietary protein was required as temperature increased from 7 to 28 C.