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Effect of Protein Level and Methionine Supplementation on Several Metabolic Responses in Turkey Poults^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010

Two experiments were conducted with turkey poults from 1 to 7 weeks of age. In the first experiment, a basal 27% protein diet was fed, and methionine (0.11%) or glutamic acid (0.11%) supplemented the basal diet. In the second experiment, there were two levels (25 and 30%) of dietary protein, and methionine (0.11%) or glutamic acid (0.11%) supplemented the 25% protein diet. The rations with supplementation of methionine or glutamic acid were exchanged between these two treatments at the beginning of week 5 of age. Feeding a methionine-supplemented diet increased body weight gain and improved feed conversion to equal those achieved on a high protein (30%) diet. Pancreas weights and pancreatic soluble protein were greater in poults fed the high protein diet. Proteolytic enzyme specific activity of the pancreas decreased with age when specific activity was correlated with total amount of soluble protein. Pancreases from poults fed low protein and glutamic acid-supplemented diets had greater proteolytic activity than did those from poults fed the high protein and methionine-supplemented diets. Serum protein and albumin were not affected by methionine supplementation. Total serum essential free amino acids decreased with age and lysine decreased more rapidly than did other amino acids. Adding glutamic acid to the basal diet did not result in metabolic responses equal to those of poults fed a basal diet with methionine supplementation.

KEY WORDS: • turkey • amino acids • enzymes

¹ Journal Paper no. J-7033 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project 1719.

² This paper is based on a dissertation presented by the senior author as partial fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D. degree to the Graduate College of Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Manuscript received 13 December 1971.