Silvana Marques Pastore

Calcium levels and calcium: available phosphorus ratios in diets for white egg layers from 42 to 58 weeks of age

The experiment was conducted to determine the nutritional requirement of calcium and the best calcium:available phosphorus ratio for commercial layers at the post-laying peak. A total of 324 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were utilized in the period from 42 to 58 weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, composed of three levels of calcium (39, 42 and 45 g/kg) and three calcium:phosphorus ratios (12.12:1; 10.53:1; and 9.30:1), totaling nine treatments with six replications and six birds per experimental unit. There was no significant effect from the calcium levels × calcium:phosphorus ratio interaction for any of the variables studied. The calcium levels and the calcium:phosphorus ratios did not affect the variables performance or egg and bone quality. At the evaluation of the calcium:phosphorus balance, as the levels of calcium of the diet were raised, the intake of calcium and phosphorus and the contents of mineral matter and calcium in the excreta increased linearly, and the retention of calcium by birds decreased linearly. With the reduction of the calcium:phosphorus ratios of the diet, intake, retention and excretion of phosphorus by layers increased. Diets containing calcium at 39 g/kg and a calcium:phosphorus ratio of 12.12:1, corresponding to an increase in calcium of 3.51 g/bird/day and available phosphorus of 289 mg/bird/day, meet the requirements of calcium and available phosphorus of white egg layers in the period from 42 to 58 weeks of age.

Lysine levels in diets for broilers from 8 to 21 days of age

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of digestible lysine levels in diets with and without supplementation of industrial amino acids on performance and fat deposition in the carcass of broilers in the starter phase. One thousand four hundred and forty chickens with initial weight of 168.1±5.0 g were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, in a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement, composed of five digestible lysine levels (10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0 and 14.0 g/kg) and two types of diet (diet with different proportions of corn and soybean meal and diet supplemented with industrial amino acids to obtain the digestible lysine levels), with eight replications and 18 birds per replication. There was interaction effect only on weight gain and fat deposition in the birds. The lysine levels reduced feed intake linearly in both diets, but caused a linear increase in lysine intake. The lysine levels quadratically affected weight gain and feed conversion, which improved up to the estimated levels of 13.0 and 12.8 g/kg lysine, respectively, when the corn:soybean meal ratio of the diet changed. In the diets supplemented with amino acids, the lysine levels increased weight gain and improved feed conversion linearly. Regardless of the type of diet, protein deposition increased linearly, whereas fat deposition reduced also linearly, as the lysine levels in the diets were increased. The levels of 13.0 and 14.0 g/kg digestible lysine provide, respectively, the best performance in birds fed a diet in which the proportion of corn and soybean meal varies and a diet supplemented with industrial amino acids, in the period from 8 to 21 days of age.

Digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio in diets for laying hens of 42 to 58 weeks of age

To determine the ideal digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio in diets for laying hens of 42 to 58 weeks of age, 240 Hy-Line W-36 hens at 42 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments, eight replicates and six birds per experimental unit. At 42 weeks of age, the birds were subjected to experimental treatments that consisted of diets with equal amounts of nutrients, except for the digestible tryptophan level. The digestible tryptophan levels in the experimental diets were 0.149, 0.160, 0.171, 0.182 and 0.193%, generating digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratios of 21.5, 23.1, 24.6, 26.2 and 27.8%. The digestible lysine level in the diets was sub-optimal (0.694%). The same ratios between lysine and the other amino acids were maintained in all experimental diets. The ideal digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio was estimated through the studied parameters using analysis of variance and polynomial regression analysis (α = 0.05). The digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio in diets quadratically affected egg production, egg mass, feed conversion per egg mass and use efficiency of digestible lysine for egg mass. However, there were no effect (P>0.05) on egg weight, feed conversion per dozen eggs, use efficiency of digestible lysine for number of eggs produced, percentage of egg components and weight gain. The digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio estimated for theses parameters ranged from 23.6 to 24.3%. The digestible tryptophan-to-digestible lysine ratio recommended in diets for laying hens of 42 to 58 weeks of age is 24.3%.

Relação treonina: lisina digestíveis na dieta de poedeiras leves de 42 a 58 semanas de idade

This study was conducted to determine the ideal ratio of digestible threonine: lysine in diets for laying hens at 42 to 58 weeks of age. Two hundred forty Hy Line W-36 laying hens were used at 42 weeks of age for 16 weeks. The treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design with eight replicates and six birds each. The experimental diets were formulated with five levels of digestible threonine (0.461; 0.515; 0.569; 0.622 and 0.676%) providing the five ratio of digestible threonine: lysine (60; 67; 74; 81 and 88%) studied. The variables analyzed were: egg production; feed intake; lysine intake; threonine intake; mass egg; average egg weight; lysine use efficiencies by mass and produced eggs; feed conversion per mass and dozen eggs; Average weights yolk, albumen and shell; weight gain and final body weights of birds; and nitrogen balance. The digestible threonine: lysine ratio in the diet did not influence the analyzed variables except consumption of threonine which showed a linear effect. The ideal ratio of digestible threonine: lysine in diets for white laying hens at 42 to 58 weeks of age is 60%, which corresponds to the level of 0.461% of digestible threonine in the diet and daily intake of digestible threonine 446mg/bird.

Digestible lysine levels obtained by two methods of formulation of diets for 22-to-42-day-old broilers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of digestible lysine levels in diets with or without supplementation of industrial amino acids on performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in broilers of 22 to 42 days of age. Birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, with four digestible lysine levels (9.0, 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0 g/kg) and two methods to obtain the lysine levels (variation in the proportion of corn and soybean meal, without supplementation; or supplementation of industrial amino acids), eight replicates and 20 birds per replicate. There was an interaction effect on the performance characteristics and on the weights and yields of prime cuts. In both diets, feed conversion improved linearly as the lysine levels were increased. Feed intake; weight gain; carcass, thigh and drumstick weights; and boneless breast yield increased and abdominal fat reduced linearly as the lysine levels were increased in the unsupplemented diet. The lysine levels of the supplemented diets linearly reduced the yield of drumstick and quadratically reduced the yields of bone-in and boneless breast up to the estimated levels of 10.4 and 10.7 g/kg, respectively. Diets without supplementation increased the excretion and retention of nitrogen. The levels of 9.0 and 12.0 g/kg digestible lysine obtained with supplementation of industrial amino acids and without it, respectively, provide the best performance and yield of prime cuts in the birds. Diets in which the digestible lysine levels are obtained without supplementation provide better performance responses and carcass characteristics compared with supplemented diets.