Influence of supplemental L-arginine on growth and carcass performance of turkeys

In a feeding trial with Large White turkeys the effect of L-arginine supple mentation on growth, feed conversion, carcass composition and sensoric cara cteristics of breast meat was investigated. To each of the 3 treatment grou ps were assigned 4 pens of 5 poults each. Phase feed 1 with 27% protein wer e fed from 1(st) to 28(th) day, phase feed 2 with 26% protein from 29(th) t o 56(th) day and phase feed 3 with 21% protein from 57(th) to 78(th) day of age. Tree additions of L-arginine (0% (FG1), 0.2% (FG2) and 0.4% (FG3)) we re evaluated. The phase feed 1, 2 and 3 of FG1 was formulated to provide 1. 73, 1.48 and 1.24% arginine. To the phase feeds of feeding group FG1 were a dded 0.2% L-arginine for FG2 and 0.4% L-arginine for FG3. At the start of t he growing period the LW of the poults was 58 g and ad the end of growing p eriod (day 78) 7.58 (FG1), 7.35 (FG2) and 7.06 kg (FG3). Increasing level o f L-arginine decreased weight gain. Feed consumption per kg LW-gain was for FG1, FG2 and FG3 2.15, 2.28 and 2.19 kg and the carcass dressing (carcass weight without giblets as a percentage of body weight prior slaughter) 86.1 , 86.5 and 87.0%, respectively. The highest L-arginine level showed a lower juiciness but did not affect tenderness and taste of breast meat. The resu lts of this study suggest, under normal feeding conditions up to 11 weeks L -arginine additions have no affect on growth performance, but improofs brea st meat proportion.