20th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition | 24–27 August 2015 | Prague, Czech Republic
P-214 (ID 25)
IMPACT OF DIFFERENT DIETARY L-ARGININE CONCENTRATIONS ON GROWTH OF PUREBRED LAYING
HENS OF FOUR GENOTYPES DIFFERING IN PHYLOGENY AND PERFORMANCE LEVEL
M.A. Lieboldt1, I. Halle1, J. Frahm1, L. Schrader2, S. Weigend3, R. Preisinger4, and S. Dänicke1
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Bundesallee
50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
2 Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, FLI, Dörnbergstraße
25-27, 29223 Celle, Germany
3 Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, FLI, Höltystraße 10, NeustadtMariensee 31535, Germany
4 Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH (LTZ), Am Seedeich 9-11, 27472 Cuxhaven, Germany
1
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
In order to examine the impact of graded dietary L-arginine supply on growth of four purebred layer lines, two high performing genotypes (WLA - White Leghorn; BLA - Rhode Island Red) from LTZ were contrasted to two low performing
genotypes (R11 - White Leghorn; L68 - New Hampshire) from FLI. Three diets containing 70 %, 100 % and 200 % of
recommended L-arginine (NRC, 1994) were fed ad libitum to each genotype (n = 32 chicks per genotype and diet) from
hatch to the end of 41st week of age. Growth data were fitted to Gompertz function by non-linear regression. Estimated
parameters were compared by mixed procedure and Tukey-Kramer test. Asymptotic body weight and age at maximum
body weight gain (tmax) were significantly affected by genotype and diet, while no interaction occurred. Brown hens
achieved higher asymptotic body weight than white hens. The diet supposed to supply 70 % of recommended Arg induced significantly lower asymptotic body weight and delayed t max in all genotypes. Although asymptotic body weight
did not differ between diets of 100 and 200 % arginine, 100 % arginine caused a lower tmax in genotypes. WLA even
showed lowest tmax independent of diet, while the other genotypes did not differ from each other. In conclusion, insufficient dietary arginine caused growth restriction and retardation, but sufficient Arg induced fastest growth in all genotypes. Brown hens grew stronger than white hens, whereas white ones grew faster.
Keywords: amino acids, L-arginine, genotypes, Gompertz function, growth
Introduction
Due to bird’s uricotelism, L-arginine (Arg) is considered as essential amino acid in poultry. It plays a decisive role in
physiological processes such as growth and feathering and serves as precursor of proteins, creatine, polyamines, Lproline, various hormones and nitric oxides. The magnitude of required Arg depends on a large variety of environmental
and genetic factors (reviewed in: KHAJALI and WIDEMAN, 2010). The objective of the present study was to examine
the impact of graded dietary L-arginine supply on growth of purebred layer lines differing in performance and phylogenetic origin in order to calculate genotype specific growth curves from hatch to the end of the 41 st week of age.
Material and Methods
Two high performing, commercial genotypes from LTZ (WLA and BLA) were contrasted to two low performing ones
from FLI (R11 and L68). White layer lines (WLA and R11) were of White Leghorn origin and phylogenetically closely
related, but distant from the Rhode Island Red line BLA and its counterpart L68 (New Hampshire). Three diets were
calculated for chicks (hatch to week 7), pullets (week 8 to 16) and laying hens (week 17 to 41) each. Diets of each agegroup comprised of a basal diet with no Arg supplementation (low Arg, LA), a low Arg (adequate Arg, AA) and a high
Arg (high Arg, HA) supplemented diet equivalent to 70, 100 and 200 % Arg of recommended level (NRC, 1994). Each
group (genotype x diet) comprised 32 one-day-old female chicks equipped with individual wing-tags housed in floorrange pens. After rearing pullets were moved to floor-range systems of a layer facility. During the entire trial diets and
water were provided ad libitum and chickens’ body weight was recorded as follows: from hatch to week 4 once a week,
from week 6 to 16 every second week and from week 16 to 41 every 28 days. Based on recorded body weights daily
weight gain was calculated. The growth function of GOMPERTZ (1825) was fitted regressively to time-dependent individually recorded growth data from hatch to the end of 41 st week of age using procedure “nonlinear regression” of STA-
ESPN 2015
TISTICA 12.0 (STATSOFT INC., 2014). Parameters of growth function were estimated using iterative Quasi-Newton
method.
y (t )  a  e
 b e
 c t
Where y(t) = hen’s body weight (g) at time t, expressed as function of a; a = hen’s adult body weight (g; asymptotic
limit); b,c = regression coefficients of the function; and t = time (weeks). The age at maximum daily weight gain (tmax),
equivalent to the point of inflection of the cumulative, sigmoid growth curve, was calculated by the second derivative of
the cumulative growth function:
t max 
ln b
c
Maximum daily weight gain was computed by inserting group-specific calculated tmax in the derivative of the corresponding cumulative growth function.
Statistical analysis of calculated growth function parameters was carried out by means of a two factorial ANOVA with
genotype, diet and their interaction as fixed effects. The Tukey-Kramer test was applied for multiple comparisons of
means. Data were reported as least square mean values and pooled standard error of mean. Differences were considered to be statistically significant for P < 0.05. ANOVA of growth curve parameters were performed using procedure
MIXED of the software package SAS 9.4 (SAS INSTITUTE INC., 2012).
Results
Table 1 summarized results of nonlinear regression. Genotype and diet significantly affected calculated parameters of
growth function, tmax and corresponding maximum daily weight gain. The asymptotic limit of growth curves, equal to
estimated adult body weight, received higher values in brown hens than in white ones (p < 0.001) and HA induced
higher adult body weight in brown hens than LA (p < 0.01). WLA fed with AA reached tmax firstly and BLA fed with LA
grew slowest (p < 0.05). Independent of diet, tmax of WLA differed significantly from that of the other genotypes. Latter
ones showed no statistically differences between each other. In all genotypes AA caused fastest growth and differed
significantly from HA and LA.
The derivatives of growth curves, identical to daily weight gain course showed a significant increase until group-specific
tmax with its corresponding estimated maximum daily weight gain (graphs not shown). In the following, daily weight gain
strongly decreased and approached a nearly zero-gain asymptotically after 40th week of age. Brown genotypes
achieved higher maximum daily weight gain than white ones (p < 0.001). Yet, LA induced lower maximum daily weight
gain at tmax and led to flatter curves than supplemented Arg diets (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The present study confirmed the essential role of Arg in growing poultry. Insufficient dietary Arg led to a significant
growth reduction and retardation compared to an adequate or surplus Arg supply. Negative effects caused by insufficient dietary Arg, such as reduced feed intake and secondary growth depression, might be the result of adverse effects
of dietary imbalances between Arg and lysine as well as Arg and methionine (reviewed in: KHAJALI and WIDEMAN,
2010). A lack of metabolisable Arg might cause a deficit of endogenous L-ornithine, the precursor of growth-promoting
polyamines. Genotype specific interactions with Arg were only found in WLA and L68 that led to the assumption that
genetically determined differences in Arg utilization and metabolism occur. HEGSTEDT et al., 1941 reported on different rapidity in feathering that induced a higher Arg requirement in fast feathering genotypes than in slow feathering
ones. The fast and well growing of WLA with additional Arg indicated that WLA belonged to fast feathering breeds,
while L68 has been selected for slow feathering (K 30%, k 70%) consciously and should require less Arg during feathering.
20th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition | 24–27 August 2015 | Prague, Czech Republic
Table 1. Effect of genotype and Arg supply on results of time-dependent individual growth data fitted to Gompertz function (LSMeans, PSEM, n = 32 chicks/experimental groups)
WLA
LA
AA
BLA
HA
LA
AA
R11
HA
LA
AA
L68
HA
LA
AA
ANOVA (p values)
HA
a (g/chick)
1503 d 1492 d 1537 d
1756 c 1770 bc 1819 b
1342 e 1422 e 1404 e
b
3.67 bc 3.66 bc 3.61 c
3.85 a 3.58 c 3.57 c
3.74 b 3.65 bc 3.63 bc 3.78 ab 3.74 b 3.91 a
c
0.140 c 0.157 a 0.147 b 0.133 d 0.136 cd 0.133 d 0.135 cd 0.142 bc 0.138 c
tmax (weeks)
9.36 bc 8.33 d 8.76 cd 10.22 a 9.44 bc 9.65 b
9.82 ab 9.17 c 9.35 bc 9.94 ab 9.30 bc 9.60 bc
R2
0.998 0.998 0.998
0.998 0.998 0.998
RSD
Estimated
MDWG
(g/chick/d)
24
22
20
0.997 0.998 0.997
25
26
22
22
20
19
1887 b 1964 ab 1977 a
PSEM
GT
DIET GTxDIET
29
< 0.001 < 0.05
n.s.
0.04
< 0.001 < 0.01
< 0.001
0.135 0.143 bc 0.142 bc 0.002
< 0.001 < 0.001
n.s.
0.16
< 0.001 < 0.001
n.s.
0.998 0.998 0.998
26
24
30
11.1 e 12.3 cd 11.9 d
12.3 cd 12.6 c 12.7 c
9.5 g 10.6 ef 10.2 f
13.4 b 14.8 a 14.7 a
0.2
< 0.001 < 0.001
< 0.01
Achieved MDWG
11.0 e 12.1 d 12.1 d
(g/chick/d)
12.9 c 12.7 cd 13.2 c
9.5 f 11.0 e 10.0 f
14.6 b 15.5 a 15.0 ab
0.3
< 0.001 < 0.001
n.s.
a-g
LSMeans values with PSEM in the same row with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05)
R2 = coefficient of determination; RSD = residual standard deviation; PSEM = pooled standard error of mean; MDWG = maximum daily weight gain; n.s. = not significant
Literature
GOMPERTZ, B, 1825: On the nature of the function expressive of the law of human mortality, and on a new mode of
determining the value of life contingencies. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. 2, 513-585.
HEGSTEDT, D.M., G.M. BRIGGS, C.A. ELVEHJEM and E.B. HART, 1941: The role of arginine and glycine in chick
nutrition. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 140, 191-200.
KHAJALI, F., R.F. WIDEMAN, 2010: Dietary arginine: metabolic, environmental, immunological and physiological interrelationships. World’s Poultry Science Journal. 66, 751-766.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (NRC), 1994: Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, 9 th ed. National Academy Press,
Washington DC.
SAS INSTITUTE INC, 2012. SAS 9.4. Cary, NC, USA.
STATSOFT INC, 2014. Statistica for the Windows operating system, version 12.0. Tulsa, Oklahoma.