Effects of supplemental glutamine and lysine on growth performance of broiler chickens

The optimum levels of Lysine and Glutamine needed for growth performance and maintenance of the broilers chicken were evaluated in a randomized 3 x 4 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. The battery cages measured 99 x 66 x 25 cm and each housed 5 birds. Day old broiler chicks totaling 180 were assigned to dietary treatments comprising of 3 concentrations of Lysine (0.85, 1.14, and 1.42%) each in combination with 4 concentrations of Glutamine (0, 1, 2, and 3%). Every dietary treatment was replicated 3 times and every replication had 5 birds. The birds were given feed and water ad libitum with a 23-hour light from hatch to 4 weeks of age. The experimental broiler chickens were evaluated feed consumption, feed conversion, and body weight gain in order to determine their optimum requirement for dietary Lysine and Glutamine. Based on the data of this study, the highest performance was observed in birds fed the diet supplemented with 1.42% lysine and 1% glutamine, but the highest improvement in feed conversion was observed in diet contain 1.14 and 1.42% with 1% and 3% glutamine, respectively. Birds fed 1.42% lysine and 1% glutamine had the highest total body weight gain and feed consumption. Broiler chickens seem to perform optimally when fed diets containing 1.14 to 1.42% lysine in combination with 1% glutamine.