Effects of Lysine and Methionine Concentration in Diet on Performance, Slaughter Variables and Serum Biochemical Profile in Slow Growing Chicks fed Rice Based Distillery Dried Grain with Solubles

Background: The feeding value of rice-distillery dried grain with solubles (r-DDGS) for dual-purpose chicks was assessed in two feeding experiments. Methods: Day-old Srinidhi chicks (n=360) were divided into 6 equal groups with 10 replicates of 6 chicks each and fed r-DDGS at 0 or 15% in diet alongwith normal (100%) or higher (110 and 120%) concentration of lysine (Lys) and methionine (Met) individually (experiment 1). In the 2nd experiment, day-old Vanaraja chicks (n=390) were divided into 5 equal groups with 13 replicates of 6 chicks each and fed r-DDGS at 0 or 15% in diet alongwith normal (100%) or higher (110%) concentration of Lys and Met, either individually or in combination. Result: Rice-DDGS significantly (P less than 0.05) depre less than ssed body weight (BW), which was totally countered by Met at 110% concentration (expt. 1). In the expt. 2, r-DDGS showed no effect on BW and FCR, except at 4 weeks, where FCR was similar in the control and the 110% Met groups. Abdominal fat content decreased in the r-DDGS groups with excess Met concentration (110%) in diet. It is concluded that Met in excess (110%) of normal concentration enabled inclusion of r-DDGS at 15% in the diet of dual-purpose chicks.