Effects of energy and lysine level on performance and reproductive traits of Arian broiler breeder hens during production periods

An experiment was carried out with 140 Arian broiler breeder hens and 20 males at 26 weeks of age. This experiment was done in 2×2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with 20 experimental units and lasted 40 weeks. Dietary treatments were formulated with 2 levels of energy including 2740 and 2540 Kcal/Kg and two levels of digestible lysine (0.54 and 0.61 %). Dietary energy level had no significant effect on egg production, egg weight and feed conversion ratio, but hens were received lower energy level had a lower daily weight gain compared to the hens received high energy level (p<0.05). Increasing lysine level of diets, increased egg weight by 1.5 % (62.74 vs. 68.63%; p<0.05). However egg production, feed conversion ratio and body weight gain of these hens didn’t affect by lysine level. Hatchability of total eggs (65.39 vs. 73.40; p<0.05) and hatch of fertile egg (73.27 vs. 88.91, p<0.001) reduced by increasing energy level. Also, decreasing energy intake increased fertility (50.62 vs. 80.05; p<0.001) and grade one chicks (75.38 vs.92.26; p<0.001). The results show that use less energy and lysine levels in the diet of Arian broiler breeder improve reproductive performance.

Key words: Energy, Lysine, Broiler breeder, Reproductive performance.

Abstract published in Animal Science Journal (Pajouhesh & Sazandegi), Issue 117, pp: 193-203. doi: 10.22092/ASJ.2017.109726.1410.