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Protein and Energy Balance
How do you balance protein and energy levels in broiler starter and finisher rations?
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2 Replies
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Balancing protein and energy in broiler rations is crucial for optimal growth and feed efficiency. <mark>Starter rations, designed for young chicks, require higher protein levels (around 23-26%) and energy levels (2800-3000 kcal/kg) to support rapid growth and development.</mark> <mark>Finisher rations, for older broilers, can have lower protein (18-20%) and higher energy (3000 kcal/kg) levels to maximize weight gain and feed efficiency</mark>.
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In animal nutrition we normally do not refer to calorie-to-protein ratio, that is a human nutrition term. In poultry nutrition we can calculate the ratio of grams of digestible lysine to megacalorie of metabolizable energy (ME) in a diet, which can vary from 3.0 to 4.5 depending on the age of the bird, its genetic potential for lean tissue deposition and its nutritional needs. Why we use lysine? Because lysine is the basis of the ideal protein, which establish a relationship for each dietary essential amino acid to lysine. If diets are balanced using the ideal protein concept, then we should only need to look at the lysine to ME ratio. We achieve the proper ME and amino acids levels using formulation software and diverse ingredients. Most importantly, we need to use crystalline amino acids and sources of fats and oils to achieve a better balance.
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