Valine deficiency. 2. The effect of feeding a valine-deficient diet during the starter period on performance and leg abnormality of male broiler chicks.
Using force-feeding and pair-feeding techniques, two experiments were conducted to investigate the problem of leg abnormality associated with feeding a Val-deficient diet as compared with a diet deficient in all the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) or a Val-supplemented diet. The BCAA-deficient diet contained .96, .52, and .63% of Leu, Ile, and Val, respectively. The Val-deficient diet contained 1.37 Leu, .82 Ile, and .63% Val. The Val-supplemented diet contained 1.37 Leu, .82 Ile, and .83% Val. In both studies birds fed the Val-supplemented gained more weight than birds in the other two groups. Although birds on Val-deficient and BCAA-deficient diets had similar weight gain, the former were lethargic and showed feather and leg abnormalities. Bone ash and bone calcium for Val-deficient birds were the lowest among the three groups studied (P < .05). The levels of the BCAA in plasma reflected those of the treatment diets. Plasma hydroxyproline was lowest in birds fed the Val-deficient diet (P < .05), indicating a reduction in bone collagen breakdown. Kidney function measurements were the same for birds on the Val-supplemented and Val-deficient diets. Fractional excretion of calcium in Val-deficient birds (.13%), however, was three times higher than that of Val-supplemented birds (P < .05). The results indicated that Val deficiency per se increased calcium excretion in urine and induced leg abnormality in young chickens.
Farran
M T
MT
Department of Poultry Science, University of Maryland, College Park 20742.
Thomas
O P
OP
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005241:Feathers / Q000002:abnormalities; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000002:abnormalities*; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D014633:Valine / Q000172:deficiency*
D000596:Amino Acids; D014633:Valine; D002118:Calcium