The Arginine Requirement of the 4–7 Week Old Broiler

Abstract

Two floor pen studies were conducted to determine the minimum arginine level needed to support maximum weight gain and optimum feed conversion during the 4-7 week period of growth for both males and females. Floor feather counts were used as an additional criteria for determining the arginine requirement. The basal diets were calculated to contain 0.74 and 0.80% arginine based on the analyzed values for corn, corn gluten meal, skimmilk and soybean meal. Regression equations were calculated from the data obtained for the males only. Based on the regression equations, the calculated requirement for maximum weight gain, optimum feed conversion, and floor feathers is 1.09, 1.10, and 1.13% arginine, respectively. When expressed as a function of energy, the requirements would be 0.329, 0.332, and 0.341% arginine per megacalorie of metabolizable energy per kg. of diet, respectively. The differences in rate of gain data for the females were non-significant, indicating the requirement of the females to be less than the males. The female requirement, based on floor feathers, would appear to be 0.98% dietary arginine.