Glycine plus serine requirement of broilers fed low-protein diets: a dose response study

In a study with 910 Ross 308 male broilers, housed in 70 floor pens bedded with wood shavings, the effect of digestible glycine+serine content (5 levels ranging from 12.4 to 15.7 g/kg and 11.4 to 14.9 g/kg in grower and finisher diets, respectively) in low-protein diets was studied from 10 – 35 days of age. In this study, also the glycine-sparing effect of threonine was studied. In total seven different treatments were studied: a control treatment (a normal/high protein diet), five low-protein dietary treatments with increasing levels of digestible glycine+serine and a low-protein dietary treatment in which extra threonine was supplemented to the diet with the lowest glycine+serine level. Growth performance results, slaughter yields, litter quality, litter composition and footpad score were measured. This study showed that the glycine+serine level in low-protein feed did not have a noticeable effect on the production results, slaughter yields, litter quality and foot pad lesion. Based on this study it was concluded that a digestible glycine+serine dose in low-protein diets of 12.4 g/kg and 11.4 g/kg in grower and finisher phase, respectively, is sufficient.