COMPARING THE EFFICACY OF TWO SUPPLEMENTAL METHIONINE TYPES ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF TWO LAYING HEN STRAINS AT THE STARTER PHASE

Abstract

Methionine is considered the first limiting amino acid in poultry, commercial laying hens inclusive. Poultry birds cannot meet their methionine requirement from conventional feedstuffs, hence the need for supplementation. This experiment was therefore conducted to compare the efficacy of two supplemental methionine types on growth performance of two laying hen strains at the starter phase. A total of 120 14-day-old ISA Brown pullet chicks were randomly allotted to four treatments with three replicates of ten birds each. The treatments were arranged in a 2x2 factorial design of two methionine types (DL and MHA-FA methionine) and two laying hen strains (Isa brown and Dekalb Amberlink). The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significant (p<0.05) means compared using Duncan Multiple Range Test. Growth performance (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and % mortality) data were collected. All observed growth performance variables were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the methionine types, hen strains, nor their interaction. It could therefore be concluded that both MHA-FA and DL methionine are good sources of supplemental methionine, and thereby could be utilised in pullets’ diets, during the starter phase. Also, both Dekalb Amberlink and Isa Brown pullets have no clear advantage over each other at the starter phase and could therefore be raised by farmers.