USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Arkansas in Fayette, Ark., in which the researchers were able to improve the diet of female broilers.

The research was made possible by an endowing gift from Simmons Foods, and the research project is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A brief summary of the completed project is shown below. A complete report, along with information on other Association research, may be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website, www.uspoultry.org. The project summary is as follows.

Project #F061: Branched-Chain Amino Acid Requirement and Their Role in Protein Synthesis and Growth Performance in Female Broiler Chickens

Dr. Sami Dridi and Dr. Michael Kidd, from the University of Arkansas, recently completed a research project where they determined the ideal level of the amino acid valine that should be included in the diet of female broilers. They found that by optimizing the ratio of valine to lysine in the diet, improvements in body weight, feed conversion and breast meat yield could be achieved. In addition, the percentage of fat in the carcass was reduced. This is valuable new information for broiler nutritionists and broiler companies.