title: Performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma constituents of meat type drakes fed diets containing different levels of lysine with or without a microbial phytase.
abstract: This experiment was conducted to study growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma constituents of Campbell drakes fed diets containing different levels of lysine with or without a microbial phytase. Basal vegetable duck all-mash diets were fed during the growing (1-35 d of age), and finishing period (36-56 d of age) and were formulated to contain 0.90% and 0.73% lysine (negative control), respectively. These diets were supplemented or not with L-lysine HCl, which resulted in a dietary lysine level of 0.90, 0.95, 1.01 and 1.06% and 0.73, 0.80, 0.87 and 0.94%, during the growing and finishing period, respectively. Furthermore, the diets were fed with or without 600 FTU phytase (Natuphos) except for those containing 1.06 and 0.94% lysine during the growing and finishing period, respectively (positive control). A lysine level of 1.01/0.87% in the growing/finishing diet significantly increased BWG and improved FCR of drakes by 2.1 and 1.8%, respectively. Phytase significantly increased BWG by 2.1% and 3.5% after feeding the basal diet and 1.01/0.87% lysine, respectively. Also, FCR was significantly improved by 2.2 and 1.8% of groups fed 0.95/0.80, and 1.01/0.87% lysine, respectively. Phytase as an independent variable increased BWG by 1.8, and improved FCR by 1.0%. Lysine and/or phytase did not affect carcass yield, and meat quality treats as well as plasma constituents of drakes. However, lysine level at 0.95/0.80% and 1.01/0.87% significantly decreased abdominal fat deposition compared to either the negative or the positive control. In conclusion, a lysine level of 1.01/0.87% in the growing/finishing diets for drakes is adequate. After phytase supplementation of the basal diet the BWG at a lysine level of 0.90/0.73% were similar to the positive control (1.06/0.94% lysine). However, the best FCR was obtained after feeding diets containing 1.01/0.87% lysine supplemented with phytase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Damnhour Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt. yfat_alexu40@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Attia
mesh_terms: D010832:6-Phytase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004372:Ducks / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010832:6-Phytase; D008239:Lysine