Four trials of identical experimental design were conducted to determine the effects of temperature, dietary Lys level, and dietary Arg:Lys ratios on performance and carcass yield of male broilers. Birds of a commercial strain were grown from 21 to 42 d of age in wire-floored finishing batteries placed in environmental chambers. The chambers were programmed to provide either a constant thermoneutral temperature (21.1 C), a constant cold temperature (15.5 C), or a cycling hot diurnal temperature (25.5 to 33.3 C). Within each environment there was a factorial arrangement of three Lys levels (1.0, 1.1, and 1.2%) with four Arg:Lys ratios (1.1:1, 1.2:1, 1.3:1, and 1.4:1). Environmental temperature significantly influenced virtually every characteristic examined. Hot cyclic temperatures reduced weight gain, feed intake, and breast meat yield, and increased feed conversion, dressing percentage, leg quarter yield, and abdominal fat content. The cold environment promoted increased feed intake and mortality. Ascites and cardiomyopathy were the leading causes of death under cold exposure and thermoneutral conditions, whereas complications arising from heat exposure were the main cause of death under hot cyclic conditions. Levels of Lys affected leg quarter yield and abdominal fat content over all environments but increased breast meat yield only under cold conditions. Increasing Arg:Lys ratios improved feed conversion and dressing percentage and reduced abdominal fat content; it could not be determined whether these responses were consistent with Arg per se or were due to a nonspecific N response. As increasing Lys levels or Arg:Lys ratios did not improve weight gain, increase breast meat yield, or attenuate adverse effects due to heat or cold exposure, it is concluded that the levels of Lys and Arg suggested for 21 to 42 d by the NRC are adequate for birds of this age under the environmental conditions encountered.

A study was conducted to evaluate the ability of the young (0 to 3 wk) broiler chicken to utilize the P provided by a high available P corn [HAPC; 0.27% total P and 0.17% nonphytate P] in comparison with yellow dent corn (YDC; 0.23% total P and 0.03% nonphytate P), and to determine the extent to which supplementation with exogenous phytase enzyme could reduce the demands for dietary P and subsequently reduce P excretion. Diets prepared using the two types of corn differed in the amount of phytate-bound P, with the HAPC diets containing approximately 50% less phytate-bound P. Treatment diets were prepared by varying the amount of dicalcium phosphate, and ranged from 0.10 to 0.50% nonphytate P for YDC diets, and from 0.18 to 0.50% nonphytate P for HAPC diets. Sublots of each diet were supplemented with 800 units/kg phytase. Each diet was fed to six pens of five male chicks of a commercial broiler strain from 1 to 21 d of age. Regression analysis was used to estimate nonphytate P requirements for each corn type with and without phytase supplementation. The greatest need for nonphytate P was for maximum tibia ash, with requirements of 0.39, 0.29, 0.37, and 0.32% in diets with YDC, YDC plus phytase, HAPC, and HAPC plus phytase, respectively. Addition of phytase liberated approximately 50% of the phytate-bound P from each diet. These levels were sufficient to support body weight, feed conversion, and livability. Fecal P content of broilers fed diets with YDC at the NRC (1994) recommended level of 0.45% nonphytate P was 1.21%, whereas at the respective requirement points indicated above, the P content was 1.09, 0.87, 0.78, and 0.64% in feces from broilers fed diets with YDC, YDC plus phytase, HAPC, and HAPC plus phytase, respectively. Thus, fecal P output could be reduced while maintaining optimum performance by the use of reduced dietary nonphytate P, introduction of HAPC, and phytase supplementation. One of the greatest benefits of phytase supplementation appeared to be maintaining livability at lower dietary levels of nonphytate P.

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