Comparison between Barley/Fish Meal- and Maize/Soybean Meal-based Diets with Various Lysine and Protein Levels Fed to Different Strains of Laying Hens

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Abstract
Five barley- and five maize-based isocaloric (11.4 MJ ME/kg) diets ranging in lysine content from 0.48–0.88% were fed to each of 3 strains of laying hens over a 420 day laying period. The strains used were a Rhode Island Red (RIR) laying type (Hisex Brown), a White Leghorn (WL) laying type (Shaver Starcross 288) and an experimental cross breed (WL×RIR), with a total number of 2400 birds. Traits studied were mortality, rate of lay, egg weight, egg output, intakes of feed, metabolizable energy (ME), crude protein (CP), and lysine, feed conversion ratio (FCR), final live weight, and condition of plumage, claws, and feet. Strain of bird and dietary lysine level significantly affected all traits except mortality. The effect of cereal type on laying performance was not significant. There were no significant interactions between the effects of strain of bird, dietary lysine level or type of cereal on egg production. A significant interaction between cereal type and dietary lysine level in FCR was observed. The daily lysine requirements for maximum egg output of hens fed on either barley- or maize-based diets were estimated from second degree polynomial equations to be ′900 mg/hen irrespective of cereal type and strain of bird. Separate response curves for each strain and an average curve for all strains together on each cereal type are illustrated.