An experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of commercial White Leghorn (WL) layers fed diets with various levels of methionine (Met) during 37 to 48 weeks of age. Commercial WL layers, 36 wk of age were equally distributed into 4 groups of 24 each and were housed in individual California type cages in open side housing system. A basal diet based on maize-soybean-deoiled rice bran without supplemental Met was formulated (0.24% Met). The basal diet was supplemented with DL-Met at 0.0, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.12% to arrive 0.24, 0.28, 0.32 and 0.36% Met in the diet. Considering one bird as a replicate, 24 such replicates were randomly allotted to one of the four Met levels. The egg production, egg weight and feed conversion efficiency were highest (P<0.05) in the diet containing 0.28% Met in the diet. The body weight gain, feed intake and egg quality parameters were not influenced by the levels of Met in the diet. The concentration of serum protein and globulin was higher (P<0.05) in the group fed diet containing 0.28% and 0.32% Met. However, serum concentration of albumin, calcium and phosphorus was not effected by Met levels. The humoral immune response measured interms of antibody titre to sheep red blood cells inoculation increased linearly (P<0.05) by increasing the dietary concentration of Met from 0.24 to 0.32%. It was concluded that daily intake of 297 mg Met per bird per day or 0.28% Met in diet is adequate for optimum egg production However the requirement is higher for eliciting better immune response i.e. 338mg Met/hen/day or 0 32%) Met in diet.
Methionine, Performance, White Leghorn layers
