Dietary arginine and lysine in large white toms. 1. Increasing arginine: lysine ratios does not improve performance when lysine levels are adequate

• Published in: Poultry science Vol. 77; no. 9; pp. 1364 - 1370
• Main Authors: Waldroup, P.W. (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.), England, J.A, Kidd, M.T, Kerr, B.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.1998
• Subjects: ABDOMINAL FAT; Animals; APPORT ALIMENTAIRE RECOMMANDE; ARGININA; ARGININE; Arginine - administration & dosage; BESOIN NUTRITIONNEL; BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES; Body Composition; BODY WEIGHT; BREAST MUSCLE; CARNE DE PAVO; DIET; DIETA; DIFERENCIAS BIOLOGICAS; DIFFERENCE BIOLOGIQUE; DINDON; DRESSING PERCENTAGE; Drug Interactions; EFFICACITE ALIMENTAIRE; EFICIENCIA DE CONVERSION DEL PIENSO; Energy Intake; FEED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY; GRAISSE ABDOMINALE; GRASA ABDOMINAL; INTERACCIONES NUTRIENTE NUTRIENTE; INTERACTION NUTRIMENT NUTRIMENT; LISINA; LYSINE; Lysine - administration & dosage; Male; MEAT CUTS; MEAT YIELD; MUSCLE; MUSCLES; MUSCULOS; NECESIDADES DE NUTRIENTES; NUTRIENT NUTRIENT INTERACTIONS; NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS; PAVO; PESO CORPORAL; PIECE DE VIANDE; PIEZAS DE CARNE; POIDS CORPOREL; RACION DIETETICA RECOMENDADA; RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; RENDEMENT A L'ABATTAGE; RENDEMENT EN VIANDE; RENDIMIENTO CARNICO; RENDIMIENTO EN CANAL SIN DESOLLAR; STRAIN DIFFERENCES; TURKEY MEAT; TURKEYS; Turkeys - physiology; VIANDE DE DINDE; Weight Gain
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.1093/ps/77.9.1364

A study was conducted utilizing two strains of male Large White turkeys (BUT Big 6 and Nicholas 700) to determine the effects of increasing Arg:Lys ratios on live performance and carcass composition. Diets were formulated to provide 100, 110, and 120% of NRC (1994) Lys levels, adjusted for dietary energy level, with Arg:Lys ratios of 1.0:1, 1.1:1, 1.2:1, and 1.3:1 in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement. Eight pens of 15 poults (four pens of each strain) were fed each of the 12 test diets for an 18-wk period. Diets were changed at 3-wk intervals rather than the 4-wk interval suggested by NRC. The results of this study suggest that the Arg and Lys levels suggested by the NRC (1994) are not sufficient when diets are fed on 3-wk intervals, rather than the 4-wk intervals suggested by NRC. This conclusion is in agreement with the studies of Waldroup et al. (1997b). Increasing Arg:Lys ratios improved performance of turkeys only when the diets contained insufficient amounts of Arg in association with low levels of Lys. Increasing Arg:Lys ratios when diets contained sufficient amounts of these two amino acids was without benefit in contrast to the report of Brake et al. (1994). Turkeys of the BUT Big 6 strain appeared to be more sensitive to marginal deficiencies of Lys and Arg than did turkeys of Nicholas 700 strain