The Protein and Lysine Requirements of Turkeys at Various Ages

Abstract

THE protein level required for optimum growth of young poults was formerly thought to be approximately 24 percent of the diet (National Research Council, 1946). Work reported by Fritz et al. (1947), Scott et al. (1948) and Lloyd et al. (1949) indicated that with rations containing higher percentages of corn than those formerly used, the protein requirement was approximately 28 percent of the ration. Baldini et al. (1954) reported that the protein requirement of young poults was much lower if the ration was properly supplemented with lysine and methionine. Klain et al. (1954), however, have shown that, under their conditions, growth of poults fed a ration containing 21.8% protein supplemented with lysine and methionine was still not as rapid as with a ration containing a higher level of protein. The amount of lysine required by young poults for growth and for normal feather pigment formation to about 4 weeks of …