Influence of dietary lysine levels and arginine:lysine ratios on performance of broilers exposed to heat or cold stress during the period of three to six weeks of age

Abstract

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.

Cold-Induced Ascites in Broilers: Effects of Vitamin C and Coenzyme Q10

“…The results indicated that NC birds presented worse performance reduced due to cold stress, which was in agreement with several studies (Mendes et al, 1997;Hangalapura, 2003;Blahova et al, 2007;Ipek & Sahan, 2006;Balog et al, 2003). Cold stress increases the energy requirement for thermoregulation, diverting the available energy for production to maintenance (Hangalapura et al, 2003).…”

Effects of Guanidionoacetic Acid and Arginine Supplementation to Vegetable Diets Fed to Broiler Chickens Subjected to Heat Stress before Slaughter

“…The positive effect of Arg in reducing abdominal fat deposition in broilers was also observed by Mendes et al (1997) and Costa et al (2001). In particular, AlDaraji et al (2011) observed a significant reduction in abdominal fat percentage and a significant improvement in carcass, breast muscle and leg yields of 42-d-old quails fed diets supplemented with Arg.…”

Effects of starter diet supplementation with arginine on broiler production performance and on small intestine morphometry

“…The Lys level in the starter diet was kept at 1.260% and the Arg level that maximized the live weight of birds was around 1.650%; however, higher levels were required to improve the feed conversion ratio. Mendes, Watkins & England (1997) and Brake et al (1998) also observe improved feed conversion with the addition of Arg to broiler diet. However, Labadan Jr et al (2001) suggested that higher Arg amounts are needed for feed conversion than for live weight gain.…”