DL-methionine can replace methionine hydroxy analogue products in a ratio of 65:100 in laying hen feed
By Holly Malins, Technical Service Manager, Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH
The importance of supplemental methionine in many conventional animal feeds is universally acknowledged, however the debate across the industry as to which source is the best continues unabated. For many years a discussion on chemical and biological characteristics of DL-methionine and the hydroxy analogue products of methionine (liquid methionine hydroxy analogue, MHA-FA; solid methionine hydroxy analogue calcium salt, MHA-Ca) has been ongoing in the feed industry, including bio-efficacies of the compounds in different productive animal species. Since the introduction of MHA products into the market in the 1980’s it has been repeatedly demonstrated in scientific and commercial trials that the bio-efficacy of the MHA products in swine and poultry is 65% compared to DL-methionine. Two recent European feeding studies show that supplying
laying hens with adequate levels of digestible methionine + cysteine is necessary to optimize performance and is best achieved with the addition of a supplemental methionine source. Moreover, liquid MHA-FA and solid MHA-Ca were found to be interchangeable with DL-methionine at a ratio of 100:65, with no negative effect on egg production performance. Assessment of the relative bioavailability of MHA products should be reflected both in the respective dosages
and in the purchase price of the products, in order to optimize feed costs.
Liquid MHA-FA vs DL- Methionine In the area around Osnabrück, Germany, a 180 day (two feeding phase) commercial test was conducted using a total of 126,000 ISA- Dekalb White hens of 20 weeks of age. Layers were held in 2 houses with 2 floors and 6 aviaries per floor. Various performance parameters including feed intake, laying percentage and egg weights as well as body weight and plumage quality were recorded. Feeds tested differed only in the methionine source used. Whereas liquid MHA-FA was used in standard feed at 1.30 kg/tonne, experimental feeds contained 0.845 kg/tonne DL-methionine which is equivalent to a ratio of 100:65. Phase 1 and phase 2 feeds contained 17% and 16% of crude protein, respectively (Figure 1). The cumulative results (Table 1) allows the conclusion, that
using DL-methionine at a kg : kg ratio of 65% compared to the use of liquid MHA-FA, has no adverse effects as reflected particularly in the equivalent laying performance, egg mass, and feed conversion observed.
Figure 1: Performance parameters of laying hens fed with supplemented liquid MHA-FA or with 65% of the dose using DL-Met
PAGE 34 JULY/AUGUST 2018 FEED COMPOUNDER
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