Amino acids (AAs) are essential for growth, intestinal health, immunity, and productivity in pullets and laying hens. Modern feed formulation is based on meeting specific requirements for both essential and non-essential AAs, allowing for a reduction in crude protein (CP) and excreted nitrogen without compromising performance or animal health.
Key Data and Recommendations:
Based on the ideal AA profile (relative to lysine = 100), the following ratios are recommended: Met+Cys 88–89, Threonine 69–71, Tryptophan 21–23, Arginine 104–109, Valine 90, Isoleucine 75–80, Leucine 120–127, Phe+Tyr 110–119, Gly+Ser 73–77, Histidine 28–29.
• The use of synthetic AAs enables a reduction in CP by 2–3 percentage points without affecting production, provided that minimum requirements for essential and non-essential AAs are met. • From an environmental perspective, for every 1% reduction in CP, nitrogen excretion can decrease by up to 10% (Adhikari et al., 2025). • Diets deficient in AAs may cause weight loss, increased fat deposition, poor feather quality, reduced shell quality, and higher nitrogen excretion.
Examples:
• Methionine and cysteine are sulphur-containing amino acids essential for protein and antioxidant synthesis in poultry. Adequate supply strengthens immunity and the response to infections. • Isoleucine is essential for optimal productivity in laying hens; deficiency reduces egg production and mass. Excess or imbalance affects immunity and metabolism. • AAs such as threonine and arginine have additional roles in intestinal integrity and immunity, being crucial during health challenges.
Conclusion:
Optimising the AA profile in the diet is key to maximising productivity, health, welfare, and environmental sustainability in modern poultry production.
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