Two experiments were carried out to evaluate digestible arginine:lysine, isoleucine:lysine, valine:lysine and tryptophan:lysine ratios for male broilers in two periods: 7 - 21 (starter) and 28 - 40 (finisher) days of age. A total of 1800 starter and 1440 finisher broilers were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with 9 treatments, eight replicates of 25 and 20 birds per experimental unit in the starter and the finisher periods, respectively. The ratios used in the starter period were: 100, 105 and 110 arginine:lysine; 60, 65 and 70 isoleucine:lysine; 70, 75 and 80 valine:lysine; 15, 16 and 17 tryptophan:lysine, and in the finisher: 95, 105 and 115 arginine:lysine; 58, 67 and 76 isoleucine:lysine; 71,5, 77 and 82,5 valine:lysine; 14, 17 and 20 tryptophan:lysine. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed the nutritional requirements in both periods, except for digestible lysine (1.08% for the starter period and 0.98% for the finisher). At the end of each experiment, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and breast and breast fillet weight and yield were determined. In the starter period, the arginine:lysine and tryptophan:lysine ratios did not affect the evaluated parameters, but there were linear effects of isoleucine:lysine and valine:lysine ratios on birds weight gain and feed conversion. In the finisher period, the arginine:lysine ratios influenced linearlly weight gain and feed conversion. There was a quadratic effect of isoleucine:lysine, valine:lysine, and tryptophan:lysine on weight gain. The increase in the isoleucine:lysine and valine:lysine ratios results in better performance of the broilers from 7 to 21 days of age. The recommended isoleucine:lysine, valine:lysine and tryptophan:lysine ratios for broilers from 28 to 40 days of age are 69, 76 and 18%, respectively.
amino acids ratio; performance; poultry production; requirements
