Effect of dietary lysine and methionine supplementation on pullet growth and of dietary protein and energy content on subsequent laying performance

An experiment was conducted to study the influence of starter and grower diet treatment on subsequent laying performance. A total of 927 one-day old chicks were allocated to 9 groups with 103 chickens per group. Treatments included three levels of methionine (3/4/5 g/kg) and of lysine (8.5/10/11.5 g/kg) in isonitrogenous diets (180 g crude protein/kg) which were fed to pullers from day I to week 8 of age. Three levels of methionine (2.7/3.5/4.2 g/kg) and of lysine (5.5/7/8.5 g/kg) in isonitrogenous diets (140 g crude protein/kg) were fed during growing period from week 9 to week 18 of age. At the age of 18 weeks, 84 pullers were selected from each group and transferred to individually laying cages. The treatments during the laying period from week 19 to week 46 of age consisted of two levels of protein (1351 155 g/kg) and two levels of energy (10.6/11.1 MJ ME/kg). Pullets' requirements were not met by feeding a low-methionine (3.0/2.7 g/kg) and lox-lysine (8.5-10.0/5.5-7.0 g/kg) diet in the starter/grower phase. Development of immature body weight was reduced, onset of production was delayed (week 19 to week 22 of age), and egg production during the first 6 weeks of lay was affected negatively (week 23 to week 46 of age). Dietary protein was the main factor controlling feed intake of laying hens at onset of production and from week 23 to week 46 of age dietary energy was the main factor. The level of protein in layer diets significantly affected egg production and egg weight.