Modification of the Illinois Reference Standard Amino Acid Mixture

Abstract

Based upon several recent studies involving reassessment of the essential amino acid requirements of the young chick, levels of dietary arginine, lysine, leucine, valine and glycine were decreased and proline and glutamic acid increased from those present in the Illinois Reference Standard (RS) amino acid mixture. Performance of chicks fed this modified amino acid mixture was as good as or better than that observed with the RS mixture and approached the performance level of chicks fed a practical-type 24% protein corn-soybean meal diet.