Lysine requirement for Japanese quail breeders

• Grant number: 22/03836-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Edney Pereira da Silva
• Grantee: Jaqueline Aparecida Pavanini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Based on the ideal protein concept, accurate estimation of Lys intake is essential for the correction of other essential amino acids in dietary protein. Until the present moment, no scientific publication was found the requirement of Lys for Japanese quail breeding females. The lack of this information limits actions in the nutritional management of these birds, especially in the current scenario of a pandemic, which has reduced the demand for Japanese quail chicks and increased the cost of the main ingredients used in bird feeding. In this scenario, it was left to the nutritionist to take actions based on caution and empiricism to mitigate the production costs of fertile eggs, as well as maintenance of the flock, which, as they are elite birds, cannot be discarded. Based on this, this research was defined with the objective of estimating the ideal Lis intake for maximum response. The treatments will consist of seven levels of Lys: 14.9 g/kg, 11.9 g/kg, 10.4 g/kg, 7.4 g/kg, 5.9 g/kg, 4.5 g/kg, and 2.9 g/kg, obtained by the dilution technique, plus a control diet, formulated to prove the limitation of Lis in the profile of dietary protein. The trial will be carried out for 22 days, with the seven adaptations of 15 days of data collection. It will be recorded daily, ambient temperature, feed consumption, egg production, and weight. The variables egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion will be analyzed considering Lys intake as an independent variable. It is expected to make available to producers working in the quail multiplication sector, the optimal level of Lys for maximum genetic potential.(AU)