Digestible threonine requirement of broiler chickens during the period three to six and six to eight weeks posthatching

Poult Sci. 1996 Oct;75(10):1253-7. doi: 10.3382/ps.0751253.

Abstract

Four experiments were conducted to determine the digestible Thr requirement of commercial broiler chickens (Ross x Hubbard) during the period 3 to 6 and 6 to 8 wk posthatching. Threonine-deficient corn-peanut meal basal diets (3,200 MEn/kg) contained 20% CP and 0.50% Thr for 3- to 6-wk-old birds, and 18.3% CP and 0.50% Thr for 6- to 8-wk-old birds. True digestibility assessment using cecectomized roosters indicated that Thr was 81% digestible in both basal diets. Thus, both diets contained 0.40% digestible Thr. Growth rate and feed efficiency of chicks fed the corn-peanut meal basal diets supplemented with surfeit Thr was equal to that of chicks fed a 20% CP Met-fortified corn-soybean meal diet. Graded doses of Thr produced marked responses (P < 0.05) in weight gain and feed efficiency in birds of both age groups. Maximal feed efficiency was achieved at 0.61% digestible Thr in 3- to 6-wk-old birds and at 0.52% digestible Thr in 6- to 8-wk-old birds. Extrapolating these digestible Thr requirements to total requirements for chicks consuming corn-soybean meal diets (Thr digestibility = 87%) results in estimates of 0.70 and 0.60% for broiler chickens during the growth periods 3 to 6 and 6 to 8 wk posthatching, respectively. These estimates are lower than those of NRC (1994) but are in close agreement with those obtained from ideal protein calculations, i.e., Thr requirements should be 70% of lysine requirements for chicks 3 to 8 wk of age.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Aging / physiology
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animal Feed / standards
  • Animals
  • Arachis / standards
  • Chickens / growth & development*
  • Chickens / metabolism*
  • Chickens / physiology
  • Diet / standards
  • Digestion / physiology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Glycine max / standards
  • Male
  • Nutritional Requirements
  • Threonine / metabolism*
  • Threonine / pharmacology*
  • Threonine / standards
  • Zea mays / standards

Substances

  • Threonine