Low protein rations based on wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal for laying hens1

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Abstract
Rations in which all the protein was supplied by wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal were fed to White Leghorn hens for 252 d. Rations based on wheat‐soybean meal which contained 14% protein supported a high and efficient rate of egg production when supplemented with sufficient lysine and methionine to ensure minimum intakes of 600 and 300 mg per hen‐day, respectively. Similarly, corn‐soybean meal rations which contained 12 to 14% protein and were properly supplemented with methionine and lysine supported satisfactory laying hen performance. Average egg size of hens fed on rations based on wheat was slightly smaller than that of hens fed on corn‐based rations. Lysine supplementation did not alleviate this. The data re‐emphasise that protein concentration of laying hen rations can be reduced from the commonly used 15.5 and 16.5% levels to 14% without impairing productive performance, provided that rations based on wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal are supplemented judiciously with lysine and/or methionine.