The Performance of Laying Hens Fed Various Levels of Protein and a Non-essential Amino Acid Mixture

INTRODUCTION THE protein and amino acid requirements of the laying hen have been studied extensively during the past two decades. These studies have provided a better understanding of the balance of essential amino acids required for optimum egg production. The requirements for the essential amino acids for the laying hen have been reported by Johnson and Fisher (1958) and Scott (1962). Moran et al. (1967) have calculated the essential amino acid requirements for the laving hen based on the amounts needed for egg formation and body maintenance. Little information exists concerning the absolute requirement of the laying hen for protein nitrogen when a diet is fed containing an adequate level of well-balanced essential amino acids together with various levels of non-essential amino acid nitrogen. Shapiro and Fisher (1965) and Shapiro (1968), using egg protein and an isonitrogenous mixture of glutamic acid and glycine, reported that the laying hen required 13…