Temperature and dietary lysine levels for laying broiler breeder hens

Abstract

The specific objectives of this project were; to examine and explain the response of laying broiler breeders to different constant and cycling ambient temperatures, to different dietary concentrations of lysine and the temperature x dietary lysine interactions. A quantitative literature review indicated that there was a curvilinear (P0.05) effects on hatchability or chick quality. Increasing dietary lysine concentrations tended (P0.05) hatchability or chick quality. Increasing dietary lysine increased (P=0.044) blood lysine concentration and increased (P=0.026) blood haematocrit values in birds kept at 21°C but not in those kept at 32°C. There was a similar temperature x lysine interaction (P= 0.031) in carcass protein composition and a trend (P<0.1) for this same interaction in body weight change of the hens in two experiments