Requirement of the hen for sulphur‐containing amino acids

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Abstract
The S amino acid requirements of White Leghorn-type laying hens were determined in two 52 wk experiments using diets based on maize and soybean meal providing from 5.0-6.5 g S amino acids/kg, 12.35 MJ ME[metabolizable energy]/kg and 8.6-8.8 g lysine/kg. There were 6 replicates of 15 individually-caged hens each per treatment. A requirement of approximately 775-800 mg S amino acids/hen per day, of which about 390-440 mg was methionine, was found for a maximum of 80-83 eggs/100 hens per day. The requirement for maximum egg production was less than that for maximum efficiency of food utilization. Diets containing 138 g protein/kg supplemented with methionine and lysine supported production and food utilization as effectively as a diet containing 167 g protein/kg.