| ABSTRACT: The objective was to estimate the most appropriate digestible methionine + cysteine:lysine ratios for growing meat-type quails (Coturnix coturnix) from 1 to 21 days of age. Quails were fed with a basal ration deficient in digestible methionine + cysteine, with five levels of DL-methionine, in substitution of glutamic acid and starch, resulting in digestible methionine + cysteine:lysine ratios of 0.61, 0.66, 0.71, 0.76 and 0.81. Feed and methionine + cysteine intake, body weight gain, feed conversion and uniformity were assessed. From 1 to 7 days, an increasing linear effect was observed for feed and methionine + cysteine intake, body weight gain, and uniformity, and a linear decrease for feed conversion. From 8 to 14 days, the 0.70 methionine +... |
