Identifier

etd-08262008-105107

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Animal Science (Animal, Dairy, and Poultry Sciences)

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if serum uric acid (SUA) could be used as an indicator of amino acid (AA) utilization in broilers and to determine the Lys requirement of broilers using SUA as a response variable. Treatments were replicated with at least 6 pens with at least 6 broilers per pen. Experiments (Exp.) were conducted from 0- to 14, 17, or 18- d posthatching in brooder batteries. Five experiments were conducted to determine if SUA and uric acid content of the excreta (UAE) could be used to determine AA adequacy of a diet. The results of these experiments indicate that after a 2 h fast, SUA can be used to determine the AA adequacy of a diet as well as UAE. Two experiments were conducted to determine the Lys requirement of female broilers from 0- to 17- d posthatching using growth performance and SUA as response variables. Using daily gain as the response, the Lys requirement of female broilers is 1.27% total Lys for diets formulated with the main source of Lys as SBM. Using gain:feed (GF) as a response variable, estimates of the Lys requirement are 1.30%, 1.42%, and 1.45% total Lys when supplemental Lys is the source of Lys. A final experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental Lys and Met on SUA, serum urea N (SUN), and UAE concentrations. The results of this experiment indicate that supplemental Lys has no effect on SUA or SUN concentrations. The results of this research indicate that SUA concentrations can be used as an indicator of AA utilization in broilers fed AA adequate and deficient diets, but it is not a good response variable to estimate the Lys requirement of broilers.

Date

2008

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

L. Lee Southern

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.18

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