Determination of the Optimal In-Feed Amino Acid Ratio for Japanese Quail Breeders Based on Utilization Efficiency

Abstract

The description of the genetic potential is the first step to estimating amino acid requirements and the ideal amino acid relation (IAAR). The aim of this study was to estimate the parameters that describe the daily maximum theoretical nitrogen retention (NRmaxT, mg/BWkg0.67), daily nitrogen maintenance requirement (NMR, mg/BWkg0.67), protein quality (b), dietary efficiency of the limiting amino acid (bc−1) and determine the lysine requirement and the IAAR for Japanese quail breeders. Two nitrogen balance assays were performed, one assay using 49 quails distributed in seven treatments (protein levels between 70.1 and 350.3 g/kg) and seven replicates and other assay to determine the IAAR by the use of bc−1, 12 treatments and 10 replicate, with a control diet (CD) and 11 treatments that had limited essential amino acids by providing only 60% of the CD. The values obtained for NRmaxT, NMR, b and bc−1 were 3386.61, 0.000486 and 0.000101, respectively. The daily intake of Lys was 291 mg/bird day. Lys was set at 100% for determining the IAAR: 87, 67, 21, 117, 96, 66, 142, 39, and 133 for Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Arg, Val, Ile, Leu, His, and Phr + Tyr, respectively, for Japanese quail breeders.

Some productive and reproductive performance, eggshell quality, serum metabolites and immune responses due to L‐threonine supplementation in Japanese quail breeders' diet

“…The dietary threonine concentration reported for laying quails are estimated higher than those determined in this study for Japanese quail breeders. In agreement with our result in the current study, dThr requirement for Japanese quail breeders was estimated at 0.59% (Carvalho et al, 2022, 2023), which was 14% and 5% lower than reported by Ramalho de Lima et al (2013) and Sarcinelli et al (2020), respectively. Carvalho et al (2022) concluded that Japanese quail breeders have lower dietary efficiency than commercial birds.…”

“…In agreement with our result in the current study, dThr requirement for Japanese quail breeders was estimated at 0.59% (Carvalho et al, 2022, 2023), which was 14% and 5% lower than reported by Ramalho de Lima et al (2013) and Sarcinelli et al (2020), respectively. Carvalho et al (2022) concluded that Japanese quail breeders have lower dietary efficiency than commercial birds. This difference maybe elucidated by the different between present commercial quails.…”

“…The highest values of fertile eggs and hatched chicks were recorded in the quail breeders fed diet with 0.58% and 0.61% dThr concentration, respectively. Breeder birds need amino acids for maintenance, tissue growth and fertile EP (Carvalho et al, 2022). Therefore, maternal nutrition can modify the composition and characteristics of eggs and consequently affect embryonic development (Carvalho et al, 2023; Li et al, 2019).…”

“…In laying hens, dietary supplementation with L-threonine enhances the egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), feed conversion ratio and immunity (Azzam et al, 2014(Azzam et al, , 2017Martínez-Amezcua et al, 1999;Wareth & Esmail, 2014). There is very limited and inconsistent information in the literature on quail breeders (Carvalho et al, 2022(Carvalho et al, , 2023, that there are no specific and coherent tables for their nutrient requirements. Therefore, at the present breeder diets are formulated based on the laying quail recommendations (NRC, 1994;Rostagno et al, 2011).…”

“…The dThr requirements for laying Japanese quails vary according to live body weight, feed consumption ability and laying performance from 161 to 173 mg/bird per day (Rostagno et al, 2011(Rostagno et al, , 2017. Quail breeder show changes in EP, EW and egg mass (EM) in comparison with commercial laying quails (Carvalho et al, 2022), which drives the need for further research into their amino acid requirements.…”