Estimation of Arginine Requirements for Male Broilers Grown at High Altitude from One to Twenty-one Days of Age

-

Arginine (Arg) requirements of male broilers (Ross 308) reared at high altitude (2100 mabove sea level) during the 1-to 3-week period was estimated in a graded supplementationmethod, in which six diets (230 g kg-1 CP and 3200 Kcal ME kg-1) with Arg increments of1.25 g kg-1 were applied to four pens of fifteen birds each. Dietary Arg content of theexperimental groups ranged from 10 g kg-1 (80% of the NRC recommendation) to 16.25 gkg-1 (130% of the NRC recommendation). Body weight gain, feed: gain ratio, and plasmanitric oxide (NO) concentration were determined as response criteria. Argininerequirements for maximal body weight gain and optimal feed: gain during the 21 daysunder study were estimated to be 15.3, and 15.1 g kg-1 of diet, respectively. The estimatedArg requirement based on the response in plasma NO was 15.6 g kg-1. In conclusion,broilers receiving dietary Arg of 15 g kg-1 had the best performance. Data obtained forthe individual factors are by far the highest values reported for Arg requirements.