Estimation of digestible tryptophan:Lysine ratios for maximum performance, egg quality and welfare of white-egg-laying hens by fitting the different non-linear models

Abstract

A total of 360 Hy-Line W-36 hens at 30 wk of age were assigned to 6 dietary treatments that consisted of 6 different (11, 15, 19, 23, 27 and 31) digestible Trp:Lys ratios. Hens were fed the experimental diets from 30 to 36 wk of age. Productive traits were recorded every wk and egg quality was measured at 36 wk of age. Total IgM, IgG, anti-sheep red blood cell antibody titres, plasma corticosterone, serotonine and glucose concentrations and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H:L) were determined at wk 6 of the experiment. Results showed a significant improvement (P < .0001) in egg production, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and body weight by increasing the standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp:Lys ratio from 11 to 19. Relative weights of shell (P < .05) and shell strength (P < .06) were affected by dietary treatments. Hens fed graded levels of SID Trp responded by decreasing the H:L ratio in a linear or curvilinear manner (P < .05). The study reported here indicated that the ideal SID Trp:Lys ratio for laying hens ranged from17.5 to 29 based on the response criteria and regression models.