The Tryptophan Requirement of Turkey Poults

TRYPTOPHAN has been reported to be an essential nutrient in the diet of young chicks (Almquist and Mecchi, 1941; Almquist, 1947; and Grau and Almquist, 1944). The significance of tryptophan in the nutrition of the poult has not been reported previously. This report presents data from three experiments in which young turkey poults were fed a tryptophan deficient ration supplemented with various levels of tryptophan to determine the amount necessary for optimum growth. The data from two additional experiments are included which tested the relative potency of l- and of dl-tryptophan in promoting growth in young poults. EXPERIMENTAL The basal ration had the following composition in gm. per 100 gm.; peanut meal, 22.3; gelatin, 28.0; dl-methionine, 0.3; l-cystine, 0.4; calcium gluconate, 5.0; dicalcium phosphate, 3.5; calcium carbonate, 0.75; dipotassium phosphate, 1.5; cellulose,1 3.0; potassium chloride, 0.3; magnesium sulphate, 0.4; sodium silicate, 0.2; potassium iodide, 0.005; special salt mixture,2 1.0; soybean . . .