Role of amino acid levels on laying hen performance

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have announced the completion of a funded research project at Mississippi State University in which researchers examined the role of protease, crude protein and amino acid levels on laying hen performance and egg quality

Researchers examine the role of protease, crude protein and amino acid levels on laying hen performance and egg quality. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The research was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cal-Maine Foods and is part of the Association’s comprehensive research programme encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing.

Dr Pratima Adhikari and colleagues at Mississippi State University have completed a layer nutrition research project with objectives that included determining the role of protease and varying levels of crude protein and amino acids (AA) on performance as well as egg quality.

The effect of the protease was beneficial in understanding the AA digestibility in both early and late-lay phases. No interaction of protease and crude protein/amino acid on economic return was observed during the post-peak trial. There were significant AA levels and protease interactions for egg production, per cent yolk and other factors during the late-lay trial.