POULTRY RESEARCH

AJINOMOTO ANIMAL NUTRITION

REPORT 12
AJINOMOTO HEARTLAND LLC

Feeding broilers different lysine to apparent

metabolizable energy ratios during the 40 to 2000
gram live weight period

Objective
Determine the effects of varying the lysine to
energy ratio on male broiler performance and
carcass characteristics during the starter (40 to 750
g) and grower (750 to 2000 g) periods.
Experimental Procedures
Animals
Male broiler chickens of a commercial strain were
allocated at one day of age between treatments derived
from seven dietary lysine:apparent metabolizable energy
ratios (LYS:AME) varying from 0.42 to 1.46 g/MJ. Each
treatment was replicated three times with 12 chicks per
replicate (cage). From each treatment, representative
birds were killed when the 750 and 2000 g live weights
were attained. Carcass composition was determined
following removal of feathers. Protein and fat deposition
rates were calculated for the live weight periods of 40
to 750 and 750 to 2000 grams.
Diets
Based on the diet dilution technique of Fisher &
Morris (1970), a 31.5% protein (summit) diet was
combined with a 13.6% protein (dilution) diet to
provide protein levels ranging from 15.0 to 31.5%.
Total dietary lysine levels ranged from 0.58 to
1.85%. The summit diet (Table 1) contained a
lysine level of 1.4 times the assumed requirement
(ARC, 1974), while all other amino acids were
provided at 1.8 times the requirement. The
essential amino acid levels in the dilution diet
(Table 1) were set at 0.4 to 0.5 times the
requirement. This ensured lysine would be the first-
limiting amino acid in all isocaloric diets (13.0
MJ/kg). The determined AME, protein and total
lysine contents of the experimental diets are listed
in Table 2.

Table 1. Determined nutrient contents of summit and dilution diets

Diet
Nutrient Summit Dilution
Crude Protein (%) 31.50 13.6
Metabolizable Energy (MJ/kg) 12.7 14.0
Lysine (%) 1.86 0.47
Lysine:AME (g/MJ) 1.46 0.33
Methionine (%) 1.17 0.23
Threonine (%) 1.41 0.54
Alanine (%) 2.08 0.95
Valine (%) 2.01 0.75
Isoleucine (%) 1.38 0.55
Leucine (%) 3.10 1.35
Phenylalanine (%) 1.85 0.73
Histidine (%) 0.93 0.29
Arginine (%) 2.04 0.77
Table 2. Analyzed nutrient contents of experimental diets
Diet
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Apparent ME (MJ/kg) 13.70 13.40 13.30 13.30 13.30 12.90 12.70
Crude Protein (%) 15.00 16.80 18.30 20.10 23.40 26.90 31.50
Total Lysine (%) 0.58 0.70 0.81 0.93 1.17 1.42 1.85
Lysine:AME (g/MJ) 0.42 0.52 0.61 0.70 0.88 1.10 1.46

Results

Table 3. Effect of lysine:AME ratio on the performance of male broiler chickens

Live Weight Gain Feed Intake Feed:Gain
(g/d) (g/d) (g/g)
LYS:AME
(g/MJ) 40-750 g 750-2000 g 40-750 750-2000 g 40-750 g 750-2000 g
0.42 15.7 36.9 40.2 128.3 2.47 3.85
0.52 18.8 49.6 45.8 148.2 2.45 2.98
0.61 24.8 61.0 49.9 145.9 2.01 2.39
0.70 27.1 61.0 49.5 136.5 1.83 2.25
0.88 31.6 63.8 46.6 127.0 1.48 1.99
1.10 32.5 51.3 44.6 115.4 1.37 2.26
1.46 31.8 57.2 45.4 118.3 1.43 2.10

Discussion

The dietary LYS:AME ratio had marked effects on
broiler performances (Table 3). During the starter
period, growth rate and feed:gain values of broilers
improved in a curvilinear fashion as the LYS:AME
ratio increased to a level of 1.1 g LYS/MJ AME
(1.42% dietary lysine). Providing a LYS:AME ratio
of 1.46 during the starter period slightly depressed
the broiler's growth rate and feed efficiency when
compared to those fed the lower ratio levels. Feed
intake of broilers during the 40-750 g period
increased as the LYS:AME ratio increased from
0.42 to 0.62 g/MJ. Feed intake remained relatively
constant as the dietary LYS:AME ratio increased
above this level.
During the grower period, broiler growth rate and
feed:gain ratio (Table 3) improved as dietary
LYS:AME ratio increased from 0.42 to 0.88 g
LYS/MJ (1.17% dietary lysine). Further increases in
the ratio to 1.10 or 1.46 reduced live performance
as indicated by the lower daily weight gains and
increased feed:gain ratios. Feed intake for broilers
during this period increased after the first increase
in LYS:AME from 0.42 to 0.52 g/MJ. Further
increases in this dietary ratio did not have a
significant effect on feed intake until a level of 1.10
g LYS/MJ AME was reached. At this level, the
broiler reduced feed intake substantially.
Greater protein deposition (Table 4) was evident for
broilers during the starter period as the dietary
LYS:AME ratio increased to a level of 1.1 g/MJ
(1.42% dietary lysine). Protein deposition of broilers
tended to plateau with further increase in the
LYS:AME ratio. Protein deposition was linearly
related to protein intake when protein intake was
below requirements for optimum growth. The
carcass protein content for the 750 g broiler
increased as the LYS:AME ratio increased to 1.1
g/MJ. Fat deposition (Table 4) increased initially as
dietary lysine increased and then gradually
declined with continued increases in lysine levels.
The carcass fat content of birds during this period
continually declined as the dietary lysine:AME ratio
increased.
Table 4. Effect of lysine:AME ratio on broiler carcass composition
Protein Deposition Protein Content Fat Deposition Fat Content
(g/d) (%) (g/d) (%)
LYS:AME
(g/MJ) 400-750 g 750-2000g 750g 2000g 40-750g 750-2000g 750g 2000g
0.42 2.36 5.74 15.1 15.9 2.58 6.54 15.9 17.6
0.52 2.81 7.59 15.6 16.4 2.63 7.12 14.2 15.2
0.61 3.65 10.21 15.6 17.1 3.15 7.33 13.1 13.0
0.70 4.26 10.60 15.9 17.6 3.42 6.62 12.5 12.0
0.88 5.01 11.32 16.2 18.0 3.20 4.32 10.4 8.4
1.10 5.20 9.00 16.5 18.2 2.84 3.22 9.1 7.6
1.46 5.20 10.33 16.5 18.6 2.64 3.08 8.6 6.8

Protein deposition increased as the dietary
LYS:AME ratio was raised to 0.88 g/MJ AME
during the grower period (Table 4). Further
increases in this ratio to 1.10 g/MJ caused a
decline in protein deposition. Initially, the
relationship of protein deposition as a function of
protein intake was linear when protein intake was
below requirements. Carcass protein content
increased as the LYS:AME ratio was raised to 0.88
g/MJ for the 2000 g live weight broiler. Fat
deposition (Table 4) declined with each successive
increase in the LYS:AME ratio above 0.61 g/MJ
(0.81% dietary lysine). Carcass fat content declined
with each increase in the LYS:AME ratio.
The results would indicate that for optimum live
performance plus maximum protein deposition and
reduced carcass fat content, male broilers would
require 1.10 g lysine/MJ (1.42% dietary lysine) for
the 40-750 g and 0.88 g lysine/MJ (1.17% dietary
lysine) for the 750 to 2000 g liveweight periods. A
similar dietary lysine requirement to support
optimum broiler performance during the 1 to 3
week age period was reported by Gous and Morris
(1985). Sinurat & Balnave (1985) indicated that by
supplying 0.89 g dietary lysine/MJ of metabolizable
energy would support optimum weight gain and
feed efficiency of broilers (22 to 45 days of age)
when reared under a moderate temperature (cyclic)
environment. These same authors found abdominal
fat content of broiler carcass to decrease as the
LYS:ME ratio of the diet increased.
Examining dietary energy and amino acid levels for
male broilers, Waldroup et al (1990) reported
energy content of the diet had no effect on body
weights or feed efficiency regardless of age period
studies. The dietary energy difference between the
high and low energy series represented 110 kcal
ME/kg within each age period. Increasing the
amino acid levels resulted in significant
improvements for live weights and feed utilization
of male broilers, plus a reduction in abdominal fat
pad. Optimal weight gains, feed efficiency ratios
and abdominal fat content of broilers, day 0 to 56,
were attained by feeding 105 to 110% of suggested
amino acid requirements (Thomas et al, 1986).
These levels for dietary lysine would correspond to
0.92 to 0.97 g/MJ (starter); 0.80 to 0.83 g/MJ
(grower); and 0.60 to 0.64 g LYS/MJ of ME for the
finisher phase.

Conclusion the starter period and to 0.61 g/MJ during the

1. Supplying 1.1 g LYS/MJ AME in a 12.9 MJ/kg
ration (1.42% total lysine) during the starter
period supported optimum growth performance
and maximum protein deposition for male
broilers.
2. A dietary LYS:AME ratio of 0.88 g/MJ for the
grower period provided maximum weight gain
and optimum feed efficiency for male boilers.
This LYS:AME ratio corresponds to 1.17%
dietary lysine for a diet containing 13.3 MJ of
AME per kg of diet.
3. Corresponding with increased feed intake, fat
deposition increased with each increase in the
dietary lysine:AME ratio up to 0.7 g/MJ during
grower period. In both periods, fat deposition
(g/d) declined with each further increase in the
lysine:AME ratio. In contrast, carcass fat
content at both 750 and 2000 g declined with
each increase in the dietary lysine:AME ratio.
4. The results obtained in this study clearly show
the differences that can occur between various
trials as exemplified by the suggested higher
levels of lysine:AME of this research,
compared to that of Waldroup et al (1990). This
could be due to genotype and nutritional
differences, thereby demonstrating the
importance of biological growth models which
can assist in identifying the differences.
Bibliography
Agricultural Research Council, 1974. The Nutrient
Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 1, Poultry
2nd Edition, London, HMSO.
Sinurat, A.P. & D. Balnave, 1985. Effect of dietary
amino acids and metabolizable energy on the
performance of broilers kept at high temperatures.
Br. Poult. Sci. 26: 117-128.

*Campbell, R.G, & R.J. Johnson, 1990.
Interrelationships between dietary protein and
energy intake on protein deposition and
performance of male broiler chickens. Proc.
Arkansas Nutrition Conference. pp. 44-54.
Fisher, C. & T.R. Morris, 1970. The determination
of the methionine requirement of laying pullets by a
diet dilution technique. Br. Poult. Sci. 11:67.
Gous, R.M. & T.R. Morris, 1985. Evaluation of a
diet dilution technique for measuring the response
of broiler chickens to increasing concentrations of
lysine. Brit. Poult. Sci. 26: 147-161.
Thomas, O.P., A.I. Zuckerman, M. Farran & C.B.
Tamplin, 1986. Updated amino acid requirements
of broilers. Prod. Maryland Nutrition Conference,
Baltimore, MD. pp. 79-85.
Waldroup, P.W., N.M. Tidwell & A.L. Izat, 1990.
The effects of energy and amino acid levels on
performance and carcass quality of male and
female broilers grown separately. Poultry Sci. 69:
1513-1521.
Note: In order to convert metric values to U.S.
standards, use the following procedure:

To Change: To: Multiply By:

Kilograms Pounds 2.205
Pounds Kilograms 0.454
Calorie Joule (J) 4.185
Joule Calorie (cal) 0.239
g/MJ g/Mcal 4.185
g/Mcal g/MJ 0.239

*Principal reference (Poultry Research Report #12 is an excerpt from the paper presented by Dr. Roger
Campbell at the 1990 Arkansas Nutrition Conference).

PRR 12

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