Effect of low crude protein breeder diets with balanced limiting amino acids on progeny chick quality and juvenile growth performance in Swarnadhara birds

Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of low crude protein diets supplemented with limiting amino acids on progeny chick quality and growth performance utilizing Swarnadhara laying hens. The feeding trial was done in 240 Swarnadhara layers from 29 to 40 weeks in a completely randomized design in five treatment groups with six replications of eight birds. The first treatment consisted of control diet (T1) based on corn soybean meal formulated at 16% CP and 2700 kcal ME meeting the ICAR (2013) requirements for CP and ME and also for the first four limiting amino acids at the following concentrations: methionine 0.35%, lysine 0.75%, threonine 0.52%, and tryptophan 0.16%. The other treatment diets (T2 to T5) were made isocaloric with control while reducing CP content to 15.5, 15, 14.5, and 14%, respectively, incorporating synthetic amino acids in sufficient quantities to match control amino acid levels. Chick quality was evaluated by grading chicks for appearance, activity and down conditions replicate-wise and individual chick hatch weights were recorded in 5 different breeder diet groups. The chicks in all the replicates were fed with the same basal diet containing 21% CP and 2800 kcal/kg ME as per ICAR (2013) requirements during first six weeks of age. The data on chick quality, body weight, feed consumption and feed efficiency showed no significant difference. Hence it can be concluded that the crude protein content of the Swarnadhara breeder diet could be reduced to 14% with essential amino acid supplementation without affecting the progeny performance.